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Results for “Baseline Surveys”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

A primary health care baseline survey in a rural district in Zambia.

In many developing countries health data are insufficient. These data are needed to get valid information to make decisions about health programmes. Baseline surveys are in terms of economy and resources a method which is fruitful. These baseline surveys should not only be performed at country and province level. Baseline surveys at district level is needed to monitor local needs. The present baseline survey was focus on immunization, diarrhoea incidence and diarrhoea treatment, sanitation and children nutrition status. 388 households were visited in a random 30 cluster baseline survey in Choma district of Zambia. It revealed that 79% of the children aged 12-23 months was fully immunized and the drop-out rate in polio and DPT vaccination routines was as low as 9 and 12% respectively. The incidence of diarrhoea disease was high and estimated at 4.8 episodes per child per year. ORS and SSS were used as treatment in 52% and 15% of all cases. More than 90% of mothers would seek help at RHCs or PHCs in case of diarrhoea. About 2/3 of the households had no safe water supply and 2/3 no pitlatrine. Only a few had a refuse pit. The nutrition status of children were assessed by using upper arm circumference measurements. Only about 40% of the children age 12-23 month and about 75% of children aged 24-59 months respectively were adequately nourished. The district had in this survey a fair immunization programme but intensified sanitary and nutritional programmes seem justified. Periodic baseline surveys with 2-3 years interval is recommended to determine the impact and future direction of the programme.

Child Nutrition Disorders↗

PubMed1995

A community trial of the impact of improved sexually transmitted disease treatment on the HIV epidemic in rural Tanzania: 2. Baseline survey results.

OBJECTIVES: To determine baseline HIV prevalence in a trial of improved sexually transmitted disease (STD) treatment, and to investigate risk factors for HIV. To assess comparability of intervention and comparison communities with respect to HIV/STD prevalence and risk factors. To assess adequacy of sample size. SETTING: Twelve communities in Mwanza Region, Tanzania: one matched pair of roadside communities, four pairs of rural communities, and one pair of island communities. One community from each pair was randomly allocated to receive the STD intervention following the baseline survey. METHODS: Approximately 1000 adults aged 15-54 years were randomly sampled from each community. Subjects were interviewed, and HIV and syphilis serology performed. Men with a positive leucocyte esterase dipstick test on urine, or reporting a current STD, were tested for urethral infections. RESULTS: A total of 12,534 adults were enrolled. Baseline HIV prevalences were 7.7% (roadside), 3.8% (rural) and 1.8% (islands). Associations were observed with marital status, injections, education, travel, history of STD and syphilis serology. Prevalence was higher in circumcised men, but not significantly after adjusting for confounders. Intervention and comparison communities were similar in the prevalence of HIV (3.8 versus 4.4%), active syphilis (8.7 versus 8.2%), and most recorded risk factors. Within-pair variability in HIV prevalence was close to the value assumed for sample size calculations. CONCLUSIONS: The trial cohort was successfully established. Comparability of intervention and comparison communities at baseline was confirmed for most factors. Matching appears to have achieved a trial of adequate sample size. The apparent lack of a protective effect of male circumcision contrasts with other studies in Africa.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Assessment of the ecological potential of mine-water treatment wetlands using a baseline survey of macroinvertebrate communities.

A baseline survey of macroinvertebrate populations in two mine-water treatment wetlands, one treating a net acidic spoil heap discharge and one a net alkaline ferruginous pumped mine water, was undertaken to assess the potential of these systems to provide habitats for faunal communities. Both wetlands were found to be impoverished in comparison to natural wetlands but did sustain a macroinvertebrate community that could support higher organisms. Wetland size and water quality in terms of pH, conductivity and metal concentrations were found to be important factors in determining the quality of the populations supported. Direct toxicity to organisms was unlikely to be the main cause of lower diversity, but the smothering of organisms via the precipitation of iron hydroxides particularly in the early parts of the treatment systems affected macroinvertebrate communities. The presence of areas of open water within the planted systems was found to be important for providing habitats for macroinvertebrates and this should be both a future design and maintenance consideration for environmental managers.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Validity and reproducibility of a self-administered food frequency questionnaire used in the baseline survey of the JPHC Study Cohort I.

We examined the validity and reproducibility of a 44-item food frequency questionnaire used in a baseline survey of the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study Cohort I conducted in February 1990. Subjects were 94 men and 107 women selected on a voluntary basis among respondents to the baseline survey. Four or five years after the baseline survey, they provided four 7-day diet records during a 1-year period, and then responded to the same questionnaire a second time. The median (range) for energy-adjusted correlation coefficients between 30 nutrients measured by the questionnaire and the diet records was 0.36 (0.06-0.81) for men and 0.37 (0.11-0.52) for women. The median correlation (range) for 17 food groups was 0.30 (0.08-0.75) for men and 0.28 (0.08-0.46) for women. The median correlation (range) for energy-adjusted correlation coefficients between the two questionnaires was 0.24 (0.04-0.69) for men and 0.50 (0.27-0.60) for women for the nutrients, and 0.34 (0.15-0.63) for men and 0.48 (0.18-0.55) for women for the food groups, respectively. The results indicate that this brief food frequency questionnaire provides reasonably valid and reproducible measures of consumption for many nutrients and food groups, and is useful for examining the association between diet and health in the Japanese population.

Diet Records↗

PubMed1995

Assessment of blood pressure measurement quality in the baseline surveys of the WHO MONICA project.

Because of the general inavailability of reference standards, there exist no common procedures to assess the quality of blood pressure measurements in epidemiological population surveys. To approach this problem within the collaborative international WHO MONICA Project, a standardized assessment of BP measurement quality was developed and applied to the forty-seven baseline surveys of that project. The entire assessments were carried out in retrospect, that is, only after each population survey had been completed. The assessment was focused on the procedures of quality assurance and control as reportedly applied in each survey, and on quality indicators which were derived from the recorded blood pressure values of each survey. The definitions of specific quality assessment items were based on the MONICA project protocol and on sources in the pertinent literature. The available information on quality assurance and control procedures depended solely on self-reports by local survey organizers and on site visits, and was occasionally found to be at variance with the actual blood pressure recordings. Therefore, quality indicators derived from actual blood pressure recordings were far more informative and comparable between surveys. Each survey was rated as optimal, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory with regard to single quality items and these single scores were used jointly to compute a summary score of blood pressure measurement quality for each survey. This summary score indicated that 39 out of 47 MONICA baseline surveys showed optimal or satisfactory BP measurement quality. Limitations and potentials for improvement of quality assessments became apparent. We conclude that a standardized assessment of BP measurement quality in epidemiological population surveys seems feasible and propose that quality assessment methods similar to the ones suggested here become a routine part of future epidemiological analyses of blood pressure values and hypertension in populations. This should facilitate valid study comparisons.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Anthropometry measures and prevalence of obesity in the urban adult population of Cameroon: an update from the Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to provide baseline and reference data on the prevalence and distribution of overweight and obesity, using different anthropometric measurements in adult urban populations in Cameroon. METHODS: The Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey was a cross-sectional study, conducted in 4 urban districts (Yaoundé, Douala, Garoua and Bamenda) of Cameroon, using the WHO Step approach for population-based assessment of cardiovascular risk factors. Body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were measured using standardized methods. Overall, 10,011 individuals, 6,004 women and 4,007 men, from 4,189 households, aged 15 years and above participated. RESULTS: Based on body mass index, more than 25% of urban men and almost half of urban women were either overweight or obese with 6.5% of men and 19.5% of women being obese. The prevalence of obesity showed considerable variation with age in both genders. Using body mass index provided the highest prevalence of obesity in men (6.5%) and waist-to-hip ratio the lowest prevalence (3.2%). Among women, using waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference yielded the highest prevalence of obesity (28%) and body mass index the lowest (19.5%). There was a trend towards an increase in age-adjusted odd ratios of being overweight or obese with duration of education in both sexes. CONCLUSION: The study provides current data on anthropometric measurements and obesity in urban Cameroonian populations, and found high prevalences of overweight and obesity particularly over 35 years of age, and among women. Prevalence varied according to the measure used. Our findings highlight the need to carry out further studies in Cameroonian and other Sub-Saharan African populations to provide appropriate cut-off points for the identification of people at risk of obesity-related disorders, and indicate the need to implement interventions to reverse increasing levels of obesity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A baseline survey of the Primary Healthcare system in south eastern Nigeria.

A baseline survey to audit the PHC operations and determine community perception and expectations of PHC service delivery was conducted in 72 communities in Enugu state, southeastern Nigeria. The study was intended to facilitate the development of intermediate performance indicators for monitoring the progress of an ongoing health sector reform and to gather baseline data for planning and policy formulation. The tools used for the operations audit assessed indicators for evaluating: (a) Stewardship, (b) Service Provision and (c) Administrative and financial management; while the community survey was assessed by, (a) utilization of health services, (b) perception of service delivery and (c) health care financing. One hundred and sixteen respondents from each of the facilities in the sample frame were interviewed using a structured self-assessment questionnaire and a qualitative assessment was undertaken in 53 of the facilities using an audit guide. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with the policy makers and planners in each of the 17 LGAs in the state. A total of 832 respondents were interviewed in the communities (using a structured questionnaire) and 42 community FGDs were conducted. The results indicate a lack of operational efficiency in the majority of the facilities audited. It was also observed that majority of the facilities do not provide all services required of it, are poorly maintained, do not have enough skilled health workers and operate without a budget. There appears to be no formal financial management system in place and no policy on financial resource generation. The community survey identified two major problems; low utilization of PHCs and poor service provision. The key indicator identified by the community for evaluating performance of the PHCs remains "access to essential drugs". The major prospect was the willingness of an appreciable number of respondents to invest in health financing through insurance schemes and payment of health tax among others. It was evident that poor funding, bad management practices and infrastructural decay is the bane of efficient PHC delivery. Consequently, we propose that cost determination studies, to establish the financial implication of the minimum package for provision of primary healthcare services, should be an essential prerequisite to the reform process. Some critical cross-cutting issues identified from the data obtained which could form the basis for major policy thrust include, development of strategies for sustainable promotion of public-private-partnership for enhanced community involvement in healthcare management, ensuring that interventional investment is proportional to the felt health needs of the populace and funding of healthcare through equitable integration of user fees/charges.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2005

A community-based integrated nutrition research programme to alleviate poverty: baseline survey.

BACKGROUND: The United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) has indicated that urban poverty is primarily found in squatter settlements. At present, 13.5% of all South African households live in informal settlements. The main hypothesis for this empirical study was that micromechanisms would not negatively influence food, nutrition and health of residents in an informal settlement in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa. This hypothesis was tested empirically against the UNICEF framework of the immediate, underlying and basic causes of malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to establish a situation analysis of children and women before designing any intervention. OBJECTIVES: The objectives covered in this paper include Phases I and II of the project, namely planning of the project and determining the demographic and health profile of the sample as part of a situation analysis. STUDY DESIGN: This is a community participatory project. After a strategic participatory planning workshop with stakeholders, a plan of operation document, guiding all field undertakings, was drawn up (Phase 1), followed by a cross-sectional baseline survey (Phase II), situation analysis (Phase III), and implementation of community-based intervention studies (Phase IV). Impact measurement will follow in Phase V. METHODS: After the planning meeting and obtaining consent, a pretested, structured demographic and health questionnaire was used to obtain data from 357 randomly selected households in an informal settlement. Data were statistically analysed for means and standard deviations. RESULTS: The findings of the workshop evaluation indicated that 100% of the participants (n = 34) agreed that a need existed for this project, 74% (n = 24) understood the relevance, and 64% (n = 22) realized the importance for sustainable community development. In the baseline survey, 89% of the respondents lived in zinc shacks with two rooms or less (32.2%), three or four rooms (41.5%) or four rooms or more (26.3%). The household size was six people or more (33%), five people (18.5%), four people (21.3%) and three people or less (27.2%). The unemployment rate was 94.2% for respondents and 80.1% for their partners. The majority of households (42.6%) had a monthly income of <R500 (71 US dollars). The major health problems observed were chronic coughing (42%) and headaches (50.4%). Death of a child under 5 years of age was reported by 27.7% of respondents, of which 34.8% were stillborn, over the previous 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirmed that poverty and household food insecurity were major problems. As such, these results form the basis for planning and implementing sustainable community-based intervention projects to promote public health nutrition in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa. It is, however, important to ensure community participation during all phases of the project to ensure sustainability.

Community Health Services↗

PubMed1999

Smallholder farming of the greater cane rat, Thryonomys swinderianus, Temminck, in southern Ghana: a baseline survey of management practices.

Baseline management practices and productivity of captive greater cane rats were studied between February and July 1992 using questionnaires with 33 practising and former farmers in 16 villages in three regions in southern Ghana. The colony sizes were relatively small, ranging between 1 and 96, with nearly a 100% farmer drop-out rate. The mean litter size of the greater cane rats in this study was 4.8+/-0.13, with the young being weaned at 8.8 weeks old. Although nearly all the farmers interviewed (90.9%) had long-term commercial intentions, a number of problems militating against their objectives were encountered. These included lack of technical support on proper management practices for efficient production, housing design, dry season feeding, sex determination and the acquisition of foundation stock. In conclusion, these studies have shown the generally poor state of the greater cane rat industry in Ghana, which requires research into almost all aspects of the productivity of this animal under captive breeding.

Agriculture↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fruit and vegetable intake in the United States: the baseline survey of the Five A Day for Better Health Program.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Five A Day Baseline Survey was to assess fruit and vegetable intake and associated factors among US adults. DESIGN: Questionnaires querying frequency of intake of 33 fruits and vegetables, as well as demographics, attitudes, and knowledge related to fruits and vegetables were administered by telephone. SETTING: The study was a nationally representative random digit dial survey conducted by telephone in the summer of 1991; response rate was 42.8%. SUBJECTS: Respondents were 2811 US adults (including an oversample of African-Americans and Hispanics). MEASURES: Mean and median self-reported intakes of fruits and vegetables were calculated. Estimated servings per week were adjusted on the basis of responses to summary questions regarding overall fruit and vegetable intakes. RESULTS: Median intake of fruits and vegetables was 3.4 servings per day. Linear regressions (accounting for no more than 10% of the variation) showed that education, income, and smoking status were predictors of fruit and vegetable intake and that intake increased with education, income, and nonsmoking status. Women had higher intakes than men at all ages; these differences between men and women increased with age. Fruit and vegetable intakes increased with age for whites and Hispanics, but not for African-Americans. CONCLUSIONS: Fruit and vegetable intake among adults in the United States is lower than the recommended minimum of five daily servings. These data will be useful in targeting campaign efforts and in assessing progress of the Five A Day for Better Health Program.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Smoking and drinking habits among the JPHC study participants at baseline survey. Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases.

Smoking and drinking habits at baseline survey among 110,896 male and female residents aged 40-69 are reported as part of an ongoing prospective population-based cohort in 11 geographically diverse health centers in Japan. The age-adjusted proportion of current and former smokers was 54.8% and 21.8% in males and 8.3% and 2.1% in females, respectively. Mean age at initiation of smoking in males and females was 20.6 and 27.8 years of age, respectively. In males, the age-adjusted proportion of those who drink almost daily was 49.1% and that of those who drink almost never was 19.7%, while in females, it was 5.9% and 71.6%, respectively. When compared by health center, the proportion of male current smokers was lower in Miyako and Ishikawa, both located in Okinawa Prefecture, while in females the proportion was higher in urban areas, such as Katsushika and Suita. The proportion of those who drink almost daily in males was higher in Yokote, Kashiwazaki, Katsushika and Suita, and lower in Ishikawa and Miyako, but in Ishikawa and Miyako, the proportion of those who drink at social events was higher. In females, the proportion of those who drink almost daily was higher in urban areas. There was substantial variation in the types of alcohol beverages consumed by males. In contrast, alcohol consumption in females comprised mainly beer.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Exploring ethnic disparities in diabetes, diabetes care, and lifestyle behaviors: the Nashville REACH 2010 community baseline survey.

In order to gain a better understanding of diabetes-related health disparities, Nashville REACH 2010 conducted a community baseline survey on health status. A total of 3204 randomly selected African-American (AA) and Caucasian (C) residents of North Nashville, and a comparison sample of residents living in Nashville/Davidson County were interviewed using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system. Diabetes prevalence was determined, and similarities/differences relative to access to health care, co-morbid conditions, diabetes care, and lifestyle behaviors, were examined. Age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes was 1.7 times higher among AAs. Increasing age (P<.0001) and being AA (P<.01) were predictive of diabetes status in a regression model. African Americans were more likely to be uninsured (P<.01), while Cs had to travel farther to get medical care (P<.0002). Compared to Caucasians, African Americans were 1.6 times more likely to have co-morbid hypertension (P<.004). Reported insulin use was higher (P<.0001) in AAs, and more Cs (25.5% vs 9.1%, respectively) reported taking no medications. African Americans were more likely to report (P<.0001) daily glucose self-monitoring, while more Cs (P<.04) reported having had an eye exam in the last 1 to 2 years. Caucasians reported more (P<.05) active lifestyle behaviors, while AA reported more (P<.001) fat-increasing behaviors. In conclusion, interventions addressing diabetes disparities in the target population should focus on insuring equitable awareness of, and access to, insurance options; managing co-morbidities; improving provider adherence to standards of care; and establishing multi-level supports for lifestyle modifications.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Baseline survey of JPHC study--design and participation rate. Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases.

The data collection from cohort subjects at baseline is the core work for prospective study as well as follow-up. We set up 140,420 cohort subjects (68,722 men and 71,698 women) (61,595 in 1990 as Cohort I and 78,825 in 1993 as Cohort II) based on resident registry of 29 districts under 11 Public Health Center areas and baseline survey were submitted for them. The survey consisted of the following three components: (1) self-administered questionnaire survey, (2) collection of blood samples (plasma and buffy coat) for deep-freezed storage and (3) collection of health check-up data. All survey were completed during the first five year of each study. Among all cohort subjects, 113,461 (81%) (53,375 men and 60,086 women, 50,245 in Cohort I and 63,216 in Cohort II) returned the questionnaire and 49,011 (35%) (18,159 men and 30,852 women, 24,637 in Cohort I and 24,374 in Cohort II) provide their blood. The health check-up data were collected from 47,910 (34%) (17,276 men and 30,664 women, 23,311 in Cohort I and 24,599 in Cohort II). These data and blood samples serve as basis for the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective Study on cancer and cardiovascular diseases (JPHC Study).

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Social class and risk factors for coronary heart disease in the Federal Republic of Germany. Results of the baseline survey of the German Cardiovascular Prevention Study (GCP).

The relationship between social class and seven important risk factors for coronary heart disease has been evaluated utilising data from the German Cardiovascular Prevention Study baseline survey. Of German residents aged 25 to 69 years, 16,430 were randomly selected from both the six intervention regions and the Federal Republic of Germany to undergo the screening procedures between 1984 and 1986. Among males the prevalence of cigarette smoking and lack of physical activity was associated with social class. For females, overweight and physical activity demonstrated a strong social gradient. No relationship existed between social class and hypercholesterolaemia. The prevalence of Type A behaviour was significantly higher for the upper social classes. The number of CHD risk factors per study subject increased with decreasing social class. Predicted cardiovascular mortality was clearly higher for the lower social class among males in general and for females younger than 60 years. These findings point to the need for risk factor intervention strategies focusing more on the lower social classes in order to achieve more adequate prevention of coronary heart disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[A baseline survey on the association of smoking onset and life events on adolescents in Wuhan, China].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the association between stressful life event and onset of smoking among adolescents in China. METHODS: Data on baseline survey from a 5-year longitudinal smoking prevention trail was used. Five thousand, five hundred and thirty-six students, from grade 7, 8 and 9 in 22 junior high schools all over Wuhan, China, had completed the survey on the onset of smoking in the past year and on stressful life events. Logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: The results showed that 8.2% of the respondents reported the onset of smoking in the past year before the survey. The rates for male and female were 13.6% and 3.4% respectively while 7.8% for 7th graders, 9.1% for 8th graders and 8.3% for 9th graders. When gender, urbanicity and age were controlled with logistic regression model, the onset of smoking in general was significantly positively associated with the negative life events at school and family while negatively associated with positive life events in school and personal domain (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Attention should be paid to help adolescents to cope with stressful life events in order to prevent and control the onset of smoking among adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol--reference values obtained in the Coronary Risk Factor Study baseline survey.

Serum total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and HDL/TC ratios have been established in 7 188 males and females aged 15-64 years who participated in the 1979 Coronary Risk Factor Study (CORIS) baseline survey in the southwestern Cape. TC levels in a sample of 575 1- and 2-year-olds were also determined. TC levels were found to be considerably higher at all ages than corresponding values found in recent surveys in the USA. By fitting epidemiological values associated with a low risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) to the CORIS data, cut-off points (CPs) for 'desirable' TC and HDL levels and HDL/TC ratios were obtained. The CPs for TC are considerably lower than those commonly used by pathology laboratories, and their adoption would result in a greater proportion of the 'westernized' population being regarded as being at risk of CHD, and therefore as requiring diet modification or drug treatment. Experience with the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) suggests that the CORIS 80th percentile for TC will correctly identify over 90% of cases of FH. On the basis of this, TC CPs for population screening for FH are also presented.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A community-based study to examine the effect of a youth HIV prevention intervention on young people aged 15-24 in South Africa: results of the baseline survey.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether South African youths living in communities that had either of two youth human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention interventions [(a) loveLife Youth Centre or (b) loveLife National Adolescent Friendly Clinic Initiative] would have a lower prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and high risk sexual behaviours than communities without either of these interventions. METHODS: In 2002 the baseline survey of a quasi-experimental, community-based study was conducted in South Africa. In total 33 communities were included in three study arms (11 communities per study arm). The final sample included 8735 youths aged 15-24 years. All participants took part in a behavioural interview and were tested for HIV, gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis). RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 20.0% among females and 7.5% among males (OR 3.93 95% CI 2.51-6.15). There were no significant differences between study arms for HIV, NG or CT prevalence at baseline. In multiple regression analyses, HIV was significantly associated with NG infection (OR 1.96 95% CI 1.24-3.12) but not with CT infection. Youths who reported >1 lifetime partner were also significantly more likely to be infected with HIV (OR 1.98 95% CI 1.55-2.52), as were those who reported ever having engaged in transactional sex (OR 1.86 P = 0.02) or having had genital ulcers in the past 12 months (OR 1.71 P < or = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevention programmes must ensure that gender inequities that place young women at greater risk for HIV infection are urgently addressed and they must continue to emphasize the importance of reducing the number of sexual partners and STI treatment.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2005

Managing health inequalities locally: a baseline survey of primary care trusts' experience with health equity audit in the implementation year.

Health equity audit (HEA), a pragmatic policy tool to ensure that services and resources are focused on issues that have the highest impact on health inequalities, has now become embedded in the national strategy to tackle these inequalities through a new mandatory requirement that primary care trusts (PCTs) conduct one such audit annually. This study aimed to assess their experience through a national baseline survey in 2004, all PCTs (n = 303) being electronically mailed a questionnaire with non-respondent follow-up. Replies were received from 132 PCTs (44%), a representative sample of PCT diversity, most of whom had completed only a few steps in the audit cycle. Audit topics (most frequently coronary heart disease, smoking cessation, and access issues) and dimensions of inequity (mainly area and deprivation) were agreed through only limited engagement with local strategic partnerships. Local public health networks and multiagency teams were infrequent partners in undertaking the HEA. Most PCTs wanted comparator data, good practice examples, and specific methodological expertise. While significant progress has been made, this survey shows only limited use of HEA as a tool for multisectoral use by PCTs in partnership with others and a focus on intra-PCT comparisons at the expense of those with a wider pool of 'look-a-likes'.

Data Collection↗