National Health Performance Authority, Healthy Communities, Percentage of adults who are daily smokers, 2011–12

Number of adults who smoke tobacco every day.

• The numerator was calculated as the sum of calibrated sample weights for adults who responded that they currently smoke tobacco, and who were enumerated within the particular Medicare local catchment.

Total population of adults

• The denominator was calculated as the sum of calibrated sample weights for adults who were enumerated within the Medicare Local catchment.
• Person level survey weights were calibrated to independent estimates of the population of interest, referred to as 'benchmarks'. Weights calibrated against population benchmarks ensure that the survey estimates conform to independently estimated distributions of the population, rather than to the distribution within the sample itself. These benchmarks account for the distribution of people across state and territory, age group, and sex categories. Note: These benchmarks have not been calibrated for Medicare Local geography.

Medicare Local catchments and Medicare Local peer groups.

• Medicare Locals are primary health care organisations established to improve responsiveness, coordinate primary health care delivery and tackle local health care needs and service gaps. A Medicare Local catchment refers to the geographical area of a Medicare local.
• Medicare Local peer groups are the grouping of the 61 Medicare Locals into seven peer groups. This grouping was undertaken by the National Health Performance Authority using statistical cluster analysis of 2006 Census based socioeconomic status, for each Medicare Local and 2006 Census based Remoteness Area categories (ABS cat. no. 2039.0). Additional information on the average distance to the closest large city and major hospital (A1 public hospital peer group classification, 2010–11) contributed to the assignment of Medicare Locals to peer groups. Groupings were tested for face validity with a stakeholder group. The National Health Performance Authority has created 7 peer groups: Metro 1 to 3, Regional 1 and 2 and Rural 1 and 2.