The Public Health Watch
On the Public Health Watch and interpretation of figures
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More on the Public Health Watch
The Public Health Watch is based on a monthly online survey conducted by Gallup for the Directorate of Health. Every month, a random sample of adult participants is taken from Gallup's group of respondents. If it is impossible to sample a large enough sample for each health district, a random sample is taken from the National Register within that region. Each month, 800 individuals are selected to participate. The participation rate was over 50% in the past year.
Interpretation of results
When interpreting the results of the Public Health Watch, it should be remembered that the survey is a sample survey and that fluctuations may occur. There may also be systematic errors, e.g. if those who decline to participate differ in some respects from those who participate. It should also be noted that the questionnaire is only in Icelandic. Thus, the Public Health Watch only covers those who can answer a questionnaire in Icelandic.
In the Public Health Watch, data is weighed to reflect the age and gender composition of the population. The results are shown with a 95% confidence limit to indicate the uncertainty of the measurement. The size of the sample affects the confidence interval. An example of interpretation: If the percentage was 8.0% and the confidence interval +/-1.3%, then it can be stated with 95 % confidence that the rate in a population is between 6.7% (8.0-1.3) and 9.3% (8.0+1.3).
Service provider
Directorate of Health