Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Erbil, Iraq metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Erbil, Iraq metro area from 1950 to 2025.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and stress among the general population during the outbreak of COVID-19 and assess their associated factor.

Abstract

The Government of Iraq, with support from UNICEF finalized and launched a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 6) in 2018. The survey provides statistically sound and internationally comparable data essential for developing evidence-based policies and programmes, and for monitoring progress toward national goals and global commitments. Data and information from MICS6 provides credible and reliable evidence for the Government of Iraq to monitor the National Development Plan and establish baselines and monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). It helps the government and its stakeholders to understand disparities and the wider development challenges in the country.

The 2018 Iraq MICS has as its primary objectives:

• To provide high quality data for assessing the situation of children, adolescents, women and households in Iraq;

• To furnish data needed for monitoring progress towards national goals, as a basis for future action;

• To collect disaggregated data for the identification of disparities, to inform policies aimed at social inclusion of the most vulnerable;

• To validate data from other sources and the results of focused interventions;

• To generate data on national and global SDG indicators;

• To generate internationally comparable data for the assessment of the progress made in various areas, and to put additional efforts in those areas that require more attention.

Geographic coverage

The sample for the Iraq MICS 2018 was designed to provide estimates at the national, regional and governorates level, for urban and rural areas. Specifically the sample for the Iraq MICS 2018 survey includes 2 regions - Kurdistan and South/Central Iraq and 18 governorates - Duhok, Nainawa, Sulaimaniya, Kirkuk, Erbil, Diala, Anbar, Baghdad, Babil, Karbalah, Wasit, Salahaddin, Najaf, Qadissiyah, Muthana, Thiqar, Musan, and Basra.

Analysis unit

• Individuals

• Households

Universe

The MICS survey considers the households and their members in all urban and rural areas of Iraq as the Universe. Thus, the Universe for Iraq consists of all persons in the country residing in various geographic locations considering all special ethnic or economic groups in the rural and urban areas of Iraq. For the purposes of this survey, Internally Displaced Persons living in United Nations/government notified camps, military installations, and non-residential units such as business establishments were not considered in the scope of the survey.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

SAMPLING FRAME

A multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling approach was used for the selection of the survey sample. The last census in Iraq was carried out in 1998 and the sampling frame was developed during that time. The most recent update of this sampling frame was done in 2009 which was used by Central Statistical Office (CSO) for the selection of the Clusters in Iraq region. On the other hand, the Kurdistan Region Statistical Office (KRSO) has updated the 2009 sampling frame for the 3 main cities of Kurdish region and their periphery and used it to draw the Clusters. The primary sampling units (PSUs) selected at the first stage were the enumeration areas (EAs). A listing of households was conducted in each sample EA, and a sample of households was selected at the second stage.

SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLE ALLOCATION

The sample size has been calculated using the prevalence rates of key indicators from the 2011 MICS. For the purpose of identifying the optimal sample size for 2018 MICS, all the factors such as time, cost, domain of estimation, sampling and non-sampling errors were taken into account, as well as the desired level of precision of the key prevalence indicator. The sample size was calculated at the governorate level. It was decided that 2018 MICS will provide the estimates at the governorate level, so the indicative sample size has been calculated using governorate as the domain for the geographic representation. The formula for calculating the sample size is described in Appendix A of report available in related materials.

A number of meetings were held in the CSO to finalize the sample size, and various refinements were studied using the referred formula. As a result of these discussions the MICS Technical Committee reached a consensus on a sample size of 1,080 households for each governorate of Iraq, where each governorate was divided into 90 sample clusters and 12 households were selected per cluster (90 clusters x 12 households = 1,080 households). Baghdad was sub-divided into two administrative areas, therefore 19 total individual domains were used for a total sample size of 20,520 households (19 domains x 1,080 households).

One-third of the sampled households was selected for water quality testing, which means 360 households per governorate or 6,840 (360 X 19) households for the overall survey. The subsample of 4 households for the water quality testing in each cluster are selected using systematic random sampling.

Each Governorate is further stratified into urban and rural areas, and the sample within each governorate is allocated proportionately to the urban and rural strata based on the population. The urban and rural areas within each governorate are the main sampling strata. Within each stratum, a specified number of clusters is selected systematically using probability proportionate to size (PPS) sampling methodology. After the selection of the clusters in each rural and urban stratum, a new listing of households was conducted in each sample cluster. Then a systematic random sample of 12 households per cluster is drawn from the listing for each rural and urban sample cluster.

SELECTION OF ENUMERATION AREAS (CLUSTERS):

Census enumeration areas were selected from each of the sampling strata by using systematic probability proportional to size (pps) sampling procedures, based on the number of households in each enumeration area from the Iraq 2009 sampling frame. The first stage of sampling was thus completed by selecting the required number of sample EAs (specified in Table SD.2) from each of the 19 sampling domains, separately for the urban and rural strata. However, there are a few areas belonging to two governorates that were not accessed due to security reasons. These governorates are Nainawa and Kirkuk. In Nainawa 5 districts were excluded (Ba'aj, Al-Hadar, Telafer, Sinjar and Makhmoor), while only Haweja district in Kirkuk was excluded. The excluded districts represent around 22% of the urban population and 51% of the rural population in Nainawa. The percentage of not accessed area in final sample for Kirkuk represents 5% of the Urban and 42% of the rural population, following the exclusion of Haweja district.

SELECTION OF HOUSEHOLDS:

Lists of households were prepared by the listing teams in the field for each enumeration area. The households were then sequentially numbered from 1 to Mhi (the total number of households in each enumeration area) at the Central Statistical Office, where the selection of 12 households in each enumeration area was carried out using random systematic selection procedures. The MICS6 spreadsheet template for systematic random selection of households was adapted for this purpose.

The Iraq 2018 MICS also included water quality testing for a subsample of households within each sample cluster. A subsample of 4 of the 12 selected households was selected in each sample cluster using random systematic sampling for conducting water quality testing, for both water in the household and at the source, including a chlorine test. The MICS6 household selection template includes an option to specify the number of households to be selected for the water quality testing, and the spreadsheet automatically selected the corresponding subsample of households.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Five questionnaires were used in the survey: (1) a household questionnaire to collect basic demographic information on all de jure household members (usual residents), the household, and the dwelling; 2) a water quality testing questionnaire administered in 4 households in each cluster of the sample; 3) a questionnaire for individual women administered in each household to all women age 15-49 years; 4) an under-5 questionnaire, administered to mothers (or caretakers) of all children under 5 living in the household; and 5) a questionnaire for children age 5-17 years, administered to the mother (or caretaker) of one randomly selected child age 5-17 years living in the household.

The questionnaires were based on the MICS6 standard questionnaires. From the MICS6 model Arabic version, the questionnaires were customised and translated to two Kurdish dialects and were pre-tested in 3 governorates (Baghdad, Najaf and Basra) in South/Central Iraq region and 3 governorates (Duhok, Erbil & Sulaimaniya) in Kurdistan region of Iraq during Dec 2017/Jan 2018. Based on the results of the pre-test, modifications were made to the wording and translation of the questionnaires.

Cleaning operations

Data were received at the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) via Internet File Streaming System (IFSS), integrated into the management application on the supervisors' tablets. Whenever logistically possible, synchronisation was daily. The central office communicated application updates to field teams through this system.

During data collection and following the completion of fieldwork, data were edited according to editing process described in details in the Guidelines for Secondary Editing, a customised version of the standard MICS6 documentation.

Data

Kurds population around the World [14,15].

HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 allele frequencies in Iraq Kurds population.