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The survey consists of an interview and nurse visit. It has a series of core elements that are included every year and special topics that are included in selected years. Core topics include general health, smoking, drinking and fruit and vegetable consumption, height, weight, blood pressure measurements and blood and saliva samples. Special topics include cardiovascular disease, physical activity, accidents, a lung function measurement and certain blood analytes.  

Each year there is a general population sample in which adults and children in selected households are eligible for inclusion. Adults aged 16 and over have been included since the start of the survey, however, children aged 2-15 were first included in 1995 and infants aged 0-1 have been included since 2001. In some years the size of the general population sample is reduced and a boost sample used to increase the proportion of respondents from certain population groups, such as in 2002 when a boost sample of children and young adults was included. In 2003, there was a full size general population sample, with the focus of the survey on cardiovascular disease.

The trend tables highlight key changes in core topics and measurements. Trend tables reflect the results within the general population sample, although in some years boost sample data are included. For example, 2002 trends among children and young people are calculated on the basis of data from children and young adults in boost and general population samples. The 1999 survey included a boost sample of respondents in selected minority ethnic groups. Data from the ethnic boost sample was not included in the trend tables as it was likely to differ from that for the general population sample. Similarly, data from older people in care homes collected for the 2000 survey was not included in trend tables as there were likely to be significant differences in the health of older people living in private households and care homes.

The following commentary focuses on key trends in the health of adults and children since 1993. Only significant differences are reported. In 2003, non-response weighting was introduced for the first time in the HSE series, and therefore both unweighted and weighted estimates are available. To allow direct comparison with previous years, the following analysis of trends focuses on the unweighted 2003 estimates. Weighted estimates for 2003 are shown for information. During 2005, non-response weighting will be applied to previous survey years and the impact on trends fully assessed.