ACT Health has spent more than half a million dollars to conduct an eight week phone survey for the next three years.
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The general health survey - which has run in some form since 2007 - began on October 21 and will run for eight weeks.
The cost of the survey for three years, which was outsourced to The Social Research Centre, was $529,140.
An ACT Health Directorate spokeswoman said the information gathered is used to develop public health programs and policies.
"The survey includes new wellbeing measures, questions on topics such as income, jobs, housing, work-life balance, social support and safety. All information is treated in strict confidence and is de-identified," she said.
She said the budget varied depending on how many people were surveyed and the length of the survey.
According to the contract, the total sample size of this year's survey is 1700, including 1200 adults and 500 children. The 2018 survey sample size was the same, according to that contract.
Interviews of children are conducted via proxy through their parent or carer. Anyone 16 and older would be considered an adult.
It includes calls to both mobile phones and landlines. The phone interviews- which follow a script - are estimated to take about 20 minutes. The results are reported on in the ACT Chief Health Officer's report.
- Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect cost for the survey. It cost $529,140 for three years work.