Commissioned by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, the HSE is an annual survey of the health of the population. It has a consistent core module each year, accompanied by different topic modules, which address a specific area of health, such as heart disease or asthma. The survey began in 1991, and covers the adult population aged 16 and over living in private households in England (children are also included since 1995). The sample has increased from just 3,000 adults in 1991 to 16,000 adults and 4,000 children by 1998. The survey combines questionnaire-based answers with physical measurements and the analysis of blood samples, and an interview with each eligible person in the household is followed by a nurse visit. To access the data visit:
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/
