Person—gender, code X
Data Element Attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes | |
Metadata item type: | Data Element |
|---|---|
| Short name: | Gender of a person |
| METEOR identifier: | 741842 |
| Registration status: | Aged Care, Standard 30/06/2023 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Recorded 09/08/2023 Health, Standard 15/02/2022 |
| Definition: | How a person describes their gender, as represented by a code. |
| Data Element Concept: | Person—gender |
| Value Domain: | Gender code X |
Value domain attributes | ||
Representational attributes | ||
| Representation class: | Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Data type: | String | |
| Format: | X | |
| Maximum character length: | 1 | |
| Value | Meaning | |
| Permissible values: | 1 | Man, or boy, or male |
| 2 | Woman, or girl, or female | |
| 3 | Non-binary | |
| 4 | Different term | |
| 5 | Prefer not to answer | |
| Supplementary values: | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
Collection and usage attributes | |
| Guide for use: | This Value Domain is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables (ABS 2021). The values are defined as follows: CODE 1 Man, or boy, or male A person who describes their gender as man, or boy, or male. CODE 2 Woman, or girl, or female A person who describes their gender as woman, or girl, or female. CODE 3 Non-binary A person who describes their gender as non-binary. CODE 4 Different term A person who describes their gender as a term other than man/boy/male, woman/girl/female or non-binary. CODE 5 Prefer not to answer A person who prefers not to respond on how they describe their gender.
Alternative Codes The ABS Standard also allows for the following Alternative Code system, which can be mapped to the Codes specified above: CODE M Man, or boy, or male CODE F Woman, or girl, or female CODE X Non-binary CODE T Different term CODE Z Prefer not to answer
Mapping Codes The ABS Standard also allows for the categories for gender to be mapped as follows:
Includes CODE 1
Includes CODE 2
Includes CODES 3 and 4
Includes CODES 5 and 9.
CODE 9 Not stated/inadequately described This supplementary value is used to code inadequately described responses and non-responses for gender. It is not to be used on primary collection forms. It is primarily for use in administrative collections when transferring data from data sets where the item has not been collected. |
|---|---|
| Comments: | Former versions of this Value Domain contained only three permissible values: CODE 1 Male CODE 2 Female CODE 3 Other (formerly 'Gender other/diverse') |
Source and reference attributes | |
| Submitting organisation: | Department of Health and Aged Care |
|---|---|
| Origin: | ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2021. Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables. Canberra: ABS, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/latest-release AGD (Attorney-General's Department) 2015. Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/australian-government-guidelines-recognition-sex-and-gender |
Data element attributes | |
Collection and usage attributes | |
| Guide for use: | Gender is a social and cultural concept. It is about social and cultural differences in identity, expression and experience as a man, boy, woman, girl, or non-binary person. Non-binary is an umbrella term describing gender identities that are not exclusively male or female. Gender includes the following concepts:
The terms sex and gender are interrelated, and are often used interchangeably, however they are distinct concepts:
While they are related concepts, caution should be exercised when comparing counts for sex with those for gender. "The preferred Australian Government approach is to collect and use gender information. Information regarding sex would ordinarily not be required and should only be collected where there is a legitimate need for that information and it is consistent with Australian Privacy Principle 3.” (AGD 2015) |
|---|---|
| Collection methods: | Standard Question Module The following standard question module is based on that recommended in the Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables (ABS 2021):
Recommended elements The following elements are recommended for inclusion:
The Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender recommend "departments and agencies should refrain from making assumptions about a person's sex and/or gender identity based on indicators such as their name, voice or appearance" (AGD 2015.) The inclusion of the write-in facility for 'Different term' as a response option recognises that there are a range of terms used to describe gender which is neither male nor female, and enhances data quality. Where the "Different term" code has been selected for gender, the data element Person—gender, text X[X(99)] may be used to capture any further (optional) specification of gender descriptors. Note: Where written responses for CODE 4 (T) 'Different term' indicate a variation of one of 'Man, or boy, or male', 'Woman, or girl, or female' or 'Non-binary', those responses may be coded to the associated label.
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| Comments: | A person's gender may stay the same or can change over the course of their lifetime. The gender response option chosen will reflect a person's gender at that point in time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender or with the concept of gender at all. |
Source and reference attributes | |
| Submitting organisation: | Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Origin: | ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2021. Standard for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation variables. Canberra: ABS, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/latest-release AGD (Attorney-General's Department) 2015. Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, viewed 6 October 2021 https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/australian-government-guidelines-recognition-sex-and-gender |
Relational attributes | |
| Related metadata references: | Supersedes Person—gender, code X Health, Superseded 15/02/2022 See also Person—gender, text X[X(99)] Health, Standard 15/02/2022 See also Person—sex, code X Aged Care, Standard 30/06/2023 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Recorded 09/08/2023 Health, Standard 15/02/2022 Indigenous, Standard 27/08/2023 Youth Justice, Standard 15/02/2022 See also Person—sexual orientation, code N[N] Health, Qualified 03/06/2022 See also Person—variations of sex characteristics indicator, code N Health, Qualified 03/06/2022 |
| Implementation in Data Set Specifications: | Alcohol and other drug treatment services NBEDS 2022–23 Health, Superseded 09/12/2022 Alcohol and other drug treatment services NBEDS 2023–24 Health, Superseded 06/12/2023 Alcohol and other drug treatment services NBEDS 2024–25 Health, Standard 06/12/2023 Australian Sports Injury Data Dictionary Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Recorded 09/08/2023 National elder abuse helpline DSS Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Recorded 26/10/2023 National Outcomes and Casemix Collection NMDS 2024-25 Health, Standard 06/12/2023 Non-admitted patient emergency department care NMDS 2022–23 Health, Superseded 07/02/2023 Non-admitted patient emergency department care NMDS 2023–24 Health, Superseded 06/12/2023 Non-admitted patient emergency department care NMDS 2024–25 Health, Standard 06/12/2023 Person related data elements (TDLU) cluster (Private Hospitals) Tasmanian Health, Standard 20/11/2023 Prisoners in custody prescription medications NBEDS 2022 Health, Recorded 30/03/2023 Surveillance of healthcare associated infection: Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection NBPDS Health, Standard 09/12/2022 |