This data layer produced by the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program provides a geographic locale framework that classifies all U.S. territory into twelve categories ranging from Large Cities to Remote Rural areas. NCES uses this framework to describe the type of geographic area where schools and school districts are located. The criteria for these classifications are defined by NCES and rely on standard geographic areas developed and maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The NCES Locale boundaries are based on geographic areas represented in Census TIGER/Line. For more information about the NCES locale framework, and to download the data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries. The classifications include:City - Large (11): Territory inside an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more and inside a Principal City with population of 250,000 or more.City - Midsize (12): Territory inside an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more and inside a Principal City with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.City - Small (13): Territory inside an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more and inside a Principal City with population less than 100,000.Suburb – Large (21): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urban Area with population of 250,000 or more.Suburb - Midsize (22): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urban Area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.Suburb - Small (23): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urban Area with population less than 100,000. Town - Fringe (31): Territory inside an Urban Area with a population less than 50,000 that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more.Town - Distant (32): Territory inside an Urban Area with a population less than 50,000 that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more.Town - Remote (33): Territory inside an Urban Area with a population less than 50,000 that is more than 35 miles of an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more.Rural - Fringe (41): Census-defined rural territory that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an Urban Area of 50,000 or more, as well as rural territory that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an Urban Area with a population less than 50,000.Rural - Distant (42): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more, as well as rural territory that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an Urban Area with a population less than 50,000.Rural - Remote (43): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an Urban Area with a population of 50,000 or more and is also more than 10 miles from an Urban Area with a population less than 50,000.All information contained in this file is in the public _domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

This data layer produced by the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program provides a geographic locale framework that classifies all U.S. territory into twelve categories ranging from Large Cities to Remote Rural areas. NCES uses this framework to describe the type of geographic area where schools and school districts are located. The criteria for these classifications are defined by NCES, and rely on standard geographic areas developed and maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The NCES Locale boundaries are based on geographic areas represented in Census TIGER/Line. For more information about the NCES locale framework, and to download the data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries. The classifications include:City – Large (11): Territory inside an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and inside a principal city with population of 250,000 or more.City – Midsize (12): Territory inside an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and inside a principal city with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.City – Small (13): Territory inside an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and inside a principal city with population less than 100,000.Suburban – Large (21): Territory outside a principal city and inside an urban area with population of 250,000 or more.Suburban – Midsize (22): Territory outside a principal city and inside an urban area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.Suburban – Small (23): Territory outside a principal city and inside an urban area with population less than 100,000 and greater than or equal to 50,000.Town – Fringe (31): Territory inside an urban area with population less than 50,000 that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more.Town – Distant (32): Territory inside an urban area with population less than 50,000 that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more.Town – Remote (33): Territory inside an urban area with population less than 50,000 that is more than 35 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more.Rural – Fringe (41): Territory outside an urban area that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more, as well as territory outside an urban area that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an urban area with population less than 50,000.Rural – Distant (42): Territory outside an urban area that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more, as well as territory outside an urban area that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban area with population less than 50,000.Rural – Remote (43): Territory outside an urban area that is more than 25 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and is also more than 10 miles from an urban area with population less than 50,000.All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

Use this application to identify locale classifications for public, private, and postsecondary schools.What are locales? Locales are general geographic indicators that reflect the type of community where a school is located. NCES creates and uses the indicators for a variety of statistical purposes, and some educational programs use them to identify schools in specific types of areas.The locale data layer used in the Locale Lookup was produced by the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program. The data provides a geographic locale framework that classifies all U.S. territory into twelve categories ranging from Large Cities to Remote Rural areas. NCES uses this framework to describe the type of geographic area where schools and school districts are located. The criteria for these classifications are defined by NCES, but they rely on standard geographic areas developed and maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2016 NCES Locale boundaries are based on geographic areas represented in Census TIGER/Line 2016. The NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program collaborates with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Education Demographic, Geographic, and Economic Statistics (EDGE) Branch to annually update the locale boundaries. For more information about the NCES locale framework, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries. The classifications include:Large City (11): Territory inside an Urbanized Area and inside a Principal City with population of 250,000 or more.Midsize City (12): Territory inside an Urbanized Area and inside a Principal City with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.Small City (13): Territory inside an Urbanized Area and inside a Principal City with population less than 100,000.Suburb – Large (21): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urbanized Area with population of 250,000 or more.Suburb - Midsize (22): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urbanized Area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.Suburb - Small (23): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urbanized Area with population less than 100,000.Town - Fringe (31): Territory inside an Urban Cluster that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an Urbanized Area.Town - Distant (32): Territory inside an Urban Cluster that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an Urbanized Area.Town - Remote (33): Territory inside an Urban Cluster that is more than 35 miles of an Urbanized Area.Rural - Fringe (41): Census-defined rural territory that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an Urbanized Area, as well as rural territory that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an Urban Cluster.Rural - Distant (42): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an Urbanized Area, as well as rural territory that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an Urban Cluster.Rural - Remote (43): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an Urbanized Area and is also more than 10 miles from an Urban Cluster.

s of 2023, the status of schools in the U.S. can be classified into active and inactive categories. These classifications reflect schools that are still operational versus those that have closed, merged, or are in the process of being repurposed. Here's an overview of the general situation:

Active Schools Active schools are institutions that are currently functioning and providing education across all levels—elementary, middle, high school, and post-secondary. The status of active schools is continually monitored and is subject to changes based on demographic, financial, and governmental factors.

Total Active K-12 Schools: According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there are about 130,000 K-12 schools across the U.S. in 2023, including public, charter, private, and religious schools.

Active Public Schools: Around 98,000 public K-12 schools are operating in the U.S. in 2023, accounting for the majority of active schools.

Private Schools: There are around 34,000 private K-12 schools in the U.S. that are actively operating in 2023.

Charter Schools: Approximately 7,500 charter schools are active, serving a growing number of students in various states.

Colleges and Universities: The number of active higher education institutions (colleges and universities) in the U.S. is around 4,000, including both public and private institutions.

Inactive Schools Inactive schools refer to institutions that are no longer operational, either due to closure, consolidation, or other reasons. This includes schools that may have closed due to lack of funding, declining enrollment, or natural disasters.

School Closures: There have been numerous school closures over the years. According to various reports, over 2,000 public schools have closed between 2010 and 2020 due to factors such as population decline, shifting demographics, and financial issues. Some school districts have closed schools to consolidate resources.

COVID-19 Impact: The pandemic led to some temporary closures, with several schools transitioning to online learning. However, by 2023, most schools have reopened with in-person instruction, though some have faced long-term closures due to underfunding or poor infrastructure.

Mergers: Some schools have been merged due to declining student populations or funding cuts. This has especially affected rural and small-town schools, with closures leading to students being redirected to larger regional schools.

Charter Schools and Private School Closures: Charter schools and private schools also face closure risks, especially those with poor financial backing or low enrollment. Between 2015 and 2020, about 1,000 charter schools closed, representing a significant portion of the charter school sector.

A computerized data set of demographic, economic and social data for 227 countries of the world. Information presented includes population, health, nutrition, mortality, fertility, family planning and contraceptive use, literacy, housing, and economic activity data. Tabular data are broken down by such variables as age, sex, and urban/rural residence. Data are organized as a series of statistical tables identified by country and table number. Each record consists of the data values associated with a single row of a given table. There are 105 tables with data for 208 countries. The second file is a note file, containing text of notes associated with various tables. These notes provide information such as definitions of categories (i.e. urban/rural) and how various values were calculated. The IDB was created in the U.S. Census Bureau''s International Programs Center (IPC) to help IPC staff meet the needs of organizations that sponsor IPC research. The IDB provides quick access to specialized information, with emphasis on demographic measures, for individual countries or groups of countries. The IDB combines data from country sources (typically censuses and surveys) with IPC estimates and projections to provide information dating back as far as 1950 and as far ahead as 2050. Because the IDB is maintained as a research tool for IPC sponsor requirements, the amount of information available may vary by country. As funding and research activity permit, the IPC updates and expands the data base content. Types of data include: * Population by age and sex * Vital rates, infant mortality, and life tables * Fertility and child survivorship * Migration * Marital status * Family planning Data characteristics: * Temporal: Selected years, 1950present, projected demographic data to 2050. * Spatial: 227 countries and areas. * Resolution: National population, selected data by urban/rural * residence, selected data by age and sex. Sources of data include: * U.S. Census Bureau * International projects (e.g., the Demographic and Health Survey) * United Nations agencies Links: * ICPSR: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/08490

This data layer produced by the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program provides a geographic locale framework that classifies all U.S. territory into twelve categories ranging from Large Cities to Remote Rural areas. NCES uses this framework to describe the type of geographic area where schools and school districts are located. The criteria for these classifications are defined by NCES, but they rely on standard geographic areas developed and maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2020 NCES Locale boundaries are based on geographic areas represented in Census TIGER/Line 2020. The NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program collaborates with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Education Demographic, Geographic, and Economic Statistics (EDGE) Branch to annually update the locale boundaries. For more information about the NCES locale framework, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries. The classifications include: City - Large (11): Territory inside an Urbanized Area and inside a Principal City with population of 250,000 or more. City - Midsize (12): Territory inside an Urbanized Area and inside a Principal City with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000. City - Small (13): Territory inside an Urbanized Area and inside a Principal City with population less than 100,000. Suburb – Large (21): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urbanized Area with population of 250,000 or more. Suburb - Midsize (22): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urbanized Area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000. Suburb - Small (23): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an Urbanized Area with population less than 100,000. Town - Fringe (31): Territory inside an Urban Cluster that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an Urbanized Area. Town - Distant (32): Territory inside an Urban Cluster that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an Urbanized Area. Town - Remote (33): Territory inside an Urban Cluster that is more than 35 miles of an Urbanized Area. Rural - Fringe (41): Census-defined rural territory that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an Urbanized Area, as well as rural territory that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an Urban Cluster. Rural - Distant (42): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an Urbanized Area, as well as rural territory that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an Urban Cluster. Rural - Remote (43): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an Urbanized Area and is also more than 10 miles from an Urban Cluster.All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

We used individual-level death data to estimate county-level life expectancy at 25 (e25) for Whites, Black, AIAN and Asian in the contiguous US for 2000-2005. Race-sex-stratified models were used to examine the associations among e25, rurality and specific race proportion, adjusted for socioeconomic variables. Individual death data from the National Center for Health Statistics were aggregated as death counts into five-year age groups by county and race-sex groups for the contiguous US for years 2000-2005 (National Center for Health Statistics 2000-2005). We used bridged-race population estimates to calculate five-year mortality rates. The bridged population data mapped 31 race categories, as specified in the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards for the collection of data on race and ethnicity, to the four race categories specified under the 1977 standards (the same as race categories in mortality registration) (Ingram et al. 2003). The urban-rural gradient was represented by the 2003 Rural Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC), which distinguished metropolitan counties by population size, and nonmetropolitan counties by degree of urbanization and adjacency to a metro area (United States Department of Agriculture 2016). We obtained county-level sociodemographic data for 2000-2005 from the US Census Bureau. These included median household income, percent of population attaining greater than high school education (high school%), and percent of county occupied rental units (rent%). We obtained county violent crime from Uniform Crime Reports and used it to calculate mean number of violent crimes per capita (Federal Bureau of Investigation 2010). This dataset is not publicly accessible because: EPA cannot release personally identifiable information regarding living individuals, according to the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This dataset contains information about human research subjects. Because there is potential to identify individual participants and disclose personal information, either alone or in combination with other datasets, individual level data are not appropriate to post for public access. Restricted access may be granted to authorized persons by contacting the party listed. It can be accessed through the following means: Request to author. Format: Data are stored as csv files.

This dataset is associated with the following publication: Jian, Y., L. Neas, L. Messer, C. Gray, J. Jagai, K. Rappazzo, and D. Lobdell. Divergent trends in life expectancy across the rural-urban gradient among races in the contiguous United States. International Journal of Public Health. Springer Basel AG, Basel, SWITZERLAND, 64(9): 1367-1374, (2019).

Abstract

THE CLEANED AND HARMONIZED VERSION OF THE SURVEY DATA PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH FORUM REPRESENTS 100% OF THE ORIGINAL SURVEY DATA COLLECTED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS - TUNISIA (INS)

The National Survey on Household Budget, Consumption, and Standard of Living, 2005 is a quinquennial survey. It is the eighth survey of its kind that was carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) in Tunisia. The seven previous surveys were conducted in 1968, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000, concurrently with the preparatory work for the Tunisian development plans. The 2005 survey was conducted as part of the preparation work for the Tenth Development Plan (2007-2011). Its expected findings would allow assessing the progress made in the improvements of the living level & conditions of the population.

The survey aims at providing detailed information on the procurement of goods and services for consumption (food consumption as well as household access to community services of health and education). And its data was collected from direct observation of household consumption to allow for having the necessary elements to assess the situation & changes in the living standards & conditions of the households.

Thus, the 2005 survey tackles three major areas of study: 1 - Household expenditure and acquisitions during the survey period 2 - Food consumption and nutritional status of households. 3 - Household access to community services of health and education.

The objectives of the survey are: a- Identifying levels of expenditure on the household level: The survey aims to assess the levels of household expenditure .The total expenditure of the household, is not only an indicator of income, but it is also a quantitative assessment of the standard of living index.

b- Income distribution: Due to the absence of data on income distribution, the mass distribution of expenditure between the different categories of the population constitutes a first outline for the income distribution in the country.

c- Investigating the structure of expenditure: Detailed information collected on expenditures per product used to establish the structures of the household expenditure as well as the budget coefficients according to different levels of classifications of goods in the nomenclature of goods and services. These factors coefficients are particularly useful for revision and development of the weights of the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). It should also be noted that the change in expenditure structure is an indicator of the evolution of living standards.

d- Analysis of household demand: Household behavior in terms of product demand is synthesized by the coefficients of income elasticity which, according to the model of consumption retained and under the assumptions of the growth of income and population, allows predicting future household demand.

e- Resources-use balance in the national accounts: The results related to the consumption by product are necessary elements for the development of balanced resource-use of products in the frame of national accounts.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Agency were cleaned and harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, in the context of a major project that started in 2009. During which extensive efforts have been exerted to acquire, clean, harmonize, preserve and disseminate micro data of existing household surveys in several Arab countries.

Geographic coverage

Covering a sample of all urban, small and medium towns and rural areas.

Analysis unit

1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person.

Universe

The survey covered a national sample of households and all individuals permanently residing in surveyed households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

THE CLEANED AND HARMONIZED VERSION OF THE SURVEY DATA PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH FORUM REPRESENTS 100% OF THE ORIGINAL SURVEY DATA COLLECTED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS - TUNISIA (INS)

Sampling method

The National Survey on Household Budget, Consumption and Standard of Living, 2005 has focused initially on a sample of 13,392 households representing 0.61% of total households in the country (61 surveyed household for every 10,000 household) . This sample is distributed across 1116 districts covering all the country governorates, cities, urban and rural areas. The sample was also equally divided on the months of the survey year to take the seasonal changes in household expenditure into account.

These households were drawn using a two stages stratified random sampling in each governorate. The sampling frame follows that of the general Census of Population and Housing in 2004.

Stratification criteria: The sampling frame is stratified by two geographical criteria: namely the governorate and the living area. The latter is stratified as follows: large municipalities, medium and small towns, major cities and the rest of the non-municipal areas. These stratification criteria (governorate, habitat and size of municipalities) represent the differentiation variable of lifestyles households. Strata used are as follows:

Stratum of large cities (stratum 1): the municipalities of the city of Tunis and its suburbs, the city of Bizerte and its suburbs, the city of Sousse and its suburbs, the city of Kairouan and its suburbs, the city Sfax and its suburbs, and the general Gabes. Thus, this stratum is formed of large urban centers corresponding to municipalities with more than 100.000 inhabitants and neighboring municipalities.

Stratum of other cities (stratum 2): This is all small and medium sized cities other than those classified in the stratum of large cities.

Stratum of the main cities (stratum 3): These are non-municipal urban areas classified as major cities during the general census of population and housing 2004 (with a population of more than 70 households).a city is considered a main city if the number of its inhabitants exceeds 400 during the census of 2004.

Stratum dispersed outside communes (stratum 4): These are areas of land located outside the main towns and cities. Households in these areas live in houses scattered or grouped in small towns.

This strata classification is closely related to the levels of household income and lifestyle.

Survey type:

The sampling frame is divided on the level of each governorate according to strata previously defined. It was set, at the level of each stratum, to make a two-stage random sampling for the selection of the household survey sample. This drawing process allows to breakdown the sample into clusters of 12 households relatively little distant from each other, thereby facilitating the conduct of the survey at the time of the information collection in the field

In the first stage: a sample of primary units is drawn in proportion to their size in number of households as they were identified. Taking into consideration that the primary units correspond to the districts that have been defined in the census of the population and these geographic areas contain on average 70 households.

In the second stage: in each sampled district, 12 households are selected according to the following method: The households in each sampled district are classified primarily according to the number of employed persons in the household. Within each category of classified households, households are also classified according to the number of persons in each household. A systematic sampling is then performed to select 12 sampled households per primary unit (sampled district). For each sampled district, another 12 households are drawn according to the same previously illustrated criteria. These households serve as a substitutive sample so that in case the interviewer failed to get in contact with the originally selected household (due to long absence- change of place of residence) , after coordinating with the supervisor, this household can be replaced by one from the substitutive sample. For this purpose, two lists of the names of head of households were developed (original list, substitutive list) that the survey is supposed to cover.

Distribution of districts and households sampled by governorates

Abstract

The Tajik Living Standards Survey (TLSS) was conducted jointly by the State Statistical Agency and the Center for Strategic Studies under the Office of the President in collaboration with the sponsors, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank (WB). International technical assistance was provided by a team from the London School of Economics (LSE). The purpose of the survey is to provide quantitative data at the individual, household and community level that will facilitate purposeful policy design on issues of welfare and living standards of the population of the Republic of Tajikistan in 1999.

Geographic coverage

National coverage. The TLSS sample was designed to represent the population of the country as a whole as well as the strata. The sample was stratified by oblast and by urban and rural areas.

The country is divided into 4 oblasts, or regions; Leninabad in the northwest of the country, Khatlon in the southwest, Rayons of Republican Subordination (RRS) in the middle and to the west of the country, and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) in the east. The capital, Dushanbe, in the RRS oblast, is a separately administrated area. Oblasts are divided into rayons (districts). Rayons are further subdivided into Mahallas (committees) in urban areas, and Jamoats (villages) in rural areas.

Analysis unit

• Households
• Individuals
• Communites

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The TLSS sample was designed to represent the population of the country as a whole as well as the strata. The sample was stratified by oblast and by urban and rural areas.

In common with standard LSMS practice a two-stage sample was used. In the first stage 125 primary sample units (PSU) were selected with the probability of selection within strata being proportional to size. At the second stage, 16 households were selected within each PSU, with each household in the area having the same probability of being chosen. [Note: In addition to the main sample, the TLSS also included a secondary sample of 15 extra PSU (containing 400 households) in Dangara and Varzob. Data in the oversampled areas were collected for the sole purpose of providing baseline data for the World Bank Health Project in these areas. The sampling for these additional units was carried out separately after the main sampling procedure in order to allow for their exclusion in nationally representative analysis.] The twostage procedure has the advantage that it provides a self-weighted sample. It also simplified the fieldwork operation as a one-field team could be assigned to cover a number of PSU.

A critical problem in the sample selection with Tajikistan was the absence of an up to date national sample frame from which to select the PSU. As a result lists of the towns, rayons and jamoats (villages) within rayons were prepared manually. Current data on population size according to village and town registers was then supplied to the regional offices of Goskomstat and conveyed to the center. This allowed the construction of a sample frame of enumeration units by sample size from which to draw the PSU.

This procedure worked well in establishing a sample frame for the rural population. However administrative units in some of the larger towns and in the cities of Dushanbe, Khojand and Kurgan-Tubbe were too large and had to be sub-divided into smaller enumeration units. Fortuitously the survey team was able to make use of information available as a result of the mapping exercise carried out earlier in the year as preparation for the 2000 Census in order to subdivide these larger areas into enumeration units of roughly similar size.

The survey team was also able to use the household listings prepared for the Census for the second stage of the sampling in urban areas. In rural areas the selection of households was made using the village registers – a complete listing of all households in the village which is (purported to be) regularly updated by the local administration. When selecting the target households a few extra households (4 in addition to the 16) were also randomly selected and were to be used if replacements were needed. In actuality non-response and refusals from households were very rare and use of replacement households was low. There was never the case that the refusal rate was so high that there were not enough households on the reserve list and this enabled a full sample of 2000 randomly selected households to be interviewed.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire was based on the standard LSMS for the CIS countries, and adapted and abridged for Tajikistan. In particular the health section was extended to allow for more in depth information to be collected and a section on food security was also added. The employment section was reduced and excludes information on searching for employment.

The questionnaires were translated into Tajik, Russian and Uzbek.

The TLSS consists of three parts: a household questionnaire, a community level questionnaire and a price questionnaire.

Household questionnaire: the Household questionnaire is comprised of 10 sections covering both household and individual aspects.

Community/Population point Questionnaire: the Community level or Population Point Questionnaire consists of 8 sections. The community level questionnaire provides information on differences in demographic and economic infrastructure. Open-ended questions in the questionnaire were not coded and hence information on the responses to these qualitative questions is not provided in the data sets.

Summary of Section contents

The brief descriptions below provide a summary of the information found in each section. The descriptions are by no means exhaustive of the information covered by the survey and users of the survey need to refer to each particular section of the questionnaire for a complete picture of the information gathered.

Household information/roster This includes individual level information of all individuals in the household. It establishes who belongs to the household at the time of the interview. Information on gender, age, relation to household head and marital status are included. In the question relating to family status, question 7, “Nekared” means married where nekar is the Islamic (arabic) term for marriage contract. Under Islamic law a man may marry more than once (up-to four wives at any one time). Although during the Soviet period it was illegal to be married to more than one woman this practice did go on. There may be households where the household head is not present but the wife is married or nekared, or in the same household a respondent may answer married and another nekared to the household head.

Dwelling This section includes information covering the type of dwelling, availability of utilities and water supply as well as questions pertaining to dwelling expenses, rents, and the payment of utilities and other household expenses. Information is at the household level.

Education This section includes all individuals aged 7 years and older and looks at educational attainment of individuals and reasons for not continuing education for those who are not currently studying. Questions related to educational expenditures at the household level are also covered. Schooling in Tajikistan is compulsory for grades (classes) 1-9. Primary level education refers to grades 1 - 4 for children aged 7 to 11 years old. General secondary level education refers to grades 5-9, corresponding to the age group 12-16 year olds. Post-compulsory schooling can be divided into three types of school: - Upper secondary education covers the grades 10 and 11. - Vocational and Technical schools can start after grade 9 and last around 4 years. These schools can also start after grade 11 and then last only two years. Technical institutions provide medical and technical (e.g. engineering) education as well as in the field of the arts while vocational schools provide training for employment in specialized occupation. - Tertiary or University education can be entered after completing all 11 grades. - Kindergarten schools offer pre-compulsory education for children aged 3 – 6 years old and information on this type of schooling is not covered in this section.

Health This section examines individual health status and the nature of any illness over the recent months. Additional questions relate to more detailed information on the use of health care services and hospitals, including expenses incurred due to ill health. Section 4B includes a few terms, abbreviations and acronyms that need further clarification. A feldscher is an assistant to a physician. Mediniski dom or FAPs are clinics staffed by physical assistants and/or midwifes and a SUB is a local clinic. CRH is a local hospital while an oblast hospital is a regional hospital based in the oblast administrative centre, and the Repub. Hospital is a national hospital based in the capital, Dushanbe. The latter two are both public hospitals.

Employment This section covers individuals aged 11 years and over. The first part of this section looks at the different activities in which individuals are involved in order to determine if a person is engaged in an income generating activity. Those who are engaged in such activities are required to answer questions in Part B. This part relates to the nature of the work and the organization the individual is attached to as well as questions relating to income, cash income and in-kind payments. There are also a few questions relating to additional income generating activities in addition to the main activity. Part C examines employment

Abstract

The Survey Assessment of Vietnamese Youth (SAVY) undertaken in late 2003 was a collaboration of the Ministry of Health, General Statistics Office with technical and financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

This is the first nationwide baseline survey of youth ever undertaken in Viet Nam. It mainly aims to collect data on various aspects of youth life in order to inform policy and programmes in the adolescent and youth health and development area.

SAVY reveals a positive picture of Vietnamese youth as they face both challenges and opportunities in a changing economic and social environment. Compared with young people in other Asian countries, Vietnamese youth display relatively less risky behaviour, are supported by protective factors and are optimistic and eager to build a prosperous country. However, this survey does reveal that some young people will encounter considerable challenges in their transition to adulthood, unless provided with support. It is important that parents, the community and the government, with the support of international agencies and young people, work together to ensure the healthy development of young people in Viet Nam.

The survey involved 7,584 youth aged 14-25 years from 42 provinces across the country, from the smallest rural hamlet to the largest cities. Using a household sample, youth were invited to a central location to complete both a face-to-face interview and a self-administered anonymous survey which contained sensitive questions young people could answer in private. What results is the most extensive understanding of the social life, attitudes and aspirations of young Vietnamese people today.

Survey Objectives - Provide information that can best inform future initiatives to promote the healthy development of youth across the country; - Inform policy and program development in the Adolescent and Youth Health area in the immediate future; and - Provide baseline data about Vietnamese youth to identify trends and patterns in the coming years.

Survey Content The questionnaire was designed through a very dynamic process, where experience from previous surveys was examined and opinion of young people ware actively solicited to ensure quality and relevance. The specific information collected through the questionnaire includes: Personal demographics Schooling, education Vocational training, Work and employment Puberty: knowledge and behaviors about reproductive health Dating and friendships HIV/AIDS Injury, illness and physical health Attitudes, perceptions and behaviors Social factors and emotional wellbeing Mass media Future aspirations

Survey Implementation SAVY is a collaborative effort between many agencies and young people. It is the result of extensive investment and parnership building between the Vietnamese Government through the Ministry of Health, the General Statistics Office, and United Nations agencies, notably The World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children's Fund. Several other organizations, from a variety of sectors, also contributed to the endeavor, notably the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the Central Youth Union (YU) and the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU). In order to ensure that the survey was methodologically sound, the East- West Centrer (Honolulu, Hawaii) provided intensive technical assisstance.

Survey Results Results from the surveys, including national reports, and micro level datasets. The dataset was formatted by *.sav (SPSS) and *.dta (STATA) More information and electronic files of SAVY, visit : http://www.moh.gov.vn/SKSS/Savy_htm/savy.htm

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

Youth aged 14-25 years

Universe

The survey covered all youths aged 14-25 years resident in the household. The SAVY sample did not include Vietnamese youth not living with their families nor those living in military barracks, social protection centers, dormitories, re-education centers and drug treatment centers.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The SAVY sample is a national representative sample of youth (persons ages 14-25 years) living in households across the eight economic regions of Viet Nam. THe sample was drawn from the sub-sample of 45,000 households in the 2002 Viet Nam Living Standards Survey (VLSS 2002), within a multi-staged and stratified design. The youth in the SAVY sample design are sufficient to represent the nation as a whole, as well as the urban and rural separely. The largest cities (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh) were over sampled in order to provide for increased statistical power in that segment of the total population of youth.

Forty-two out of 61 provinces were selected for the SAVY sample, using the probability proportional to size (PPS) method to maintain representativeness . At the next stage of sampling, enumeration areas (EAs) in each province were selected. In those EAs sampled, all youth aged 14 through 25 were identified (i.e, those born between 1978 and 1989) males and females, married and non married from the 20 households that had been selected for the VLSS2002. The youth cohort represents all youth, but not those living in special arrangements, such as barracks, re-education centers, social protection centers, factories and dormitories.

The 61 provinces in the VLSS 2002 sample included 2.250 EAS, and the 42 provinces selected for SAVY included 1643 EAs. From these, a total of 446 EAs were selected for the SAVY sample. These EAs contained 8920 households corresponding to a population of 40,140 (about 4.5 persons per household). Since youth aged 14-25 account for 24.5% of the total population (the figure in the 1999 census), the anticipated number of youth in the SAVY sample was approximately 9,835. If the mobilization rate (percentage of eligible youth actually interviewed) was 90% then the number of youth interviewed woul be estimated to be about 8,850. In the actual SAVY field experiece, the mobilization rate was 85% and the number of completed interviews was 7,584.

The sample is therefore representative, and provides sufficient cases for analysis at the national level within urban and rural sectors at the national level, by gender at the nation level, and for each of the regions. Further detail on the sampling methodology is provided in the Appendix of the Final Report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire was designed through a very dynamic process, where experience from previous surveys was examined and opinions of young people were actively solicited to ensure quality and relevance. This process also helped to define the methodology and implications for fieldwork planning.

A number of stakeholders’ agencies, including research institutes, were involved in the development of the questionnaire. This process ensured broad participation and ownership of the questionnaire and the survey.

The questionnaire design took place in two stages. In the first stage, experienced researchers, and others interested in the survey as stakeholders, were convened to a workshop by the MoH. Potential topics, and the possible phrasing of questions using the questionnaire bank from previous studies in the region as reference, were fully discussed. Since some of the topics were deemed to be more sensitive than others, it was recommended that the questionnaire should be organized into two parts, one for an interview and the other for self-completion. On the basis of that workshop, a draft questionnaire was created for review by the workshop members and numerous others in stakeholder agencies, as well as by young people through a series of consultations.

Eight focus group discussions were conducted in Hanoi and HCMC, with around 60 young people of different ages in the 14-25 range who were either married or unmarried and either attending or not attending school. Participants gave detailed feedback about the terminology, the ways in which questions were posed and the sequencing of the questions, as well as which specific questions or issues they would prefer to respond to on their own, rather than with an interviewer. This process resulted in the rephrasing of a number of questions and changes to the self-completed section.

Preliminary training was conducted for field-testing of the questionnaire. Participants came from the GSO Office in Tuyen Quang, Hue and HCMC, representing the north, south and central regions of Viet Nam. A group of 50 young males and females, either married or unmarried and either attending or not attending school, participated in the interviewers’ practice session. In the debriefing discussions, these young people expressed their feelings about the interviews, the questions asked, what they liked and did not like about the process, seating arrangements, ideas of what topics/issues they thought might still be missing in the draft questionnaire, and what they thought would be needed to make good interviewers. Field testing with around 180 young people from six communes in these three provinces then took place.

The second stage involved further vetting of questionnaire sections and was coordinated by the GSO. The review meeting following the field trips recommended the need for another field testing exercise, particularly because little experience had been gained from testing with urban young people and interviewing ethnic minority young people through interpreters. Following the second round of field-testing in Hanoi and Yen Bai, the feedback was incorporated to finalise the questionnaire for the interviewers training. At the training, further revision and refinement of

Abstract

The Schooling Income and Health Risk (SIHR) project is a randomized evaluation of a conditional and unconditional cash transfer intervention targeting young women in Malawi that provided incentives (in the form of school fees and cash transfers) to current schoolgirls and recent dropouts to stay in or return to school. The program, known as the Zomba Cash Transfer Program (ZCTP), took place in Zomba, Malawi during 2008 and 2009. The incentives include average payment of US$10 a month conditional on satisfactory school attendance and direct payment of secondary school fees.

The SIHR project was specifically designed to answer a number of important questions about cash transfer programs for which there is little prior evidence. First, almost all information about the impacts of these programs come from Latin America, where income levels are much higher and institutional capacity is vastly superior compared with many poor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Second, the evidence base to effectively choose program design parameters (such as conditionality, transfer size, and the specific identity of the program beneficiary within households) is limited. Third, evidence on final outcomes, such as learning, labor market outcomes, and HIV risk is lacking. Finally, long term evaluations of cash transfer programs are rare - mainly because the control groups in these evaluations are treated after a short period of time.

The baseline data collection was administered from September 2007 to January 2008. The research targeted girls and young women, between the ages of 13 and 22, who were never married. Overall, 3,810 girls and young women were surveyed in the first round. Enumeration Areas (EAs) in the study district of Zomba were selected from the universe of EAs produced by the National Statistics Office of Malawi from the 1998 Census. 176 enumeration areas were randomly sampled out of a total of 550 EAs using three strata: urban areas, rural areas near Zomba Town, and rural areas far from Zomba Town. The follow-up survey (Round 2) was carried out from October 2008 to February 2009. The third round was conducted between March and September 2010, after Malawi Conditional Cash Transfer Program was completed. The fourth round took place in 2012-2013. The fifth round is planned for 2017.

The data collection effort includes household surveys, individual quantitative and qualitative interviews, academic assessments, Voluntary Counseling and Testing, school surveys, market surveys, community surveys, and health facility assessments.

The datasets from the third round of the impact evaluation are documented here.

Geographic coverage

Zomba district.

Zomba district in the Southern region was chosen as the site for this study for several reasons. First, it has a large enough population within a small enough geographic area rendering field work logistics easier and keeping transport costs lower. Zomba is a highly populated district, but distances from the district capital (Zomba Town) are relatively small. Second, characteristic of Southern Malawi, Zomba has a high rate of school dropouts and low educational attainment. Third, unlike many other districts, Zomba has the advantage of having a true urban center as well as rural areas. As the study sample was stratified to get representative samples from urban areas (Zomba town), rural areas near Zomba town, and distant rural areas in the district, researchers can analyze the heterogeneity of the impacts by urban/rural areas. Finally, while Southern Malawi, which includes Zomba, is poorer, has lower levels of education, and higher rates of HIV than Central and Northern Malawi, these differences are relative considering that Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest rates of HIV prevalence.

Analysis unit

• households;
• 13-22 year-old never-married girls and young women at the baseline.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

First, 176 enumeration areas (EA) were randomly sampled out of a total of 550 EAs using three strata in the study district of Zomba. Each of these 176 EAs were then randomly assigned treatment or control status. The three strata are urban, rural areas near Zomba Town, and rural areas far from Zomba Town. Rural areas were defined as being near if they were within a 16-kilometer radius of Zomba Town. Researchers did not sample any EAs in TA Mbiza due to safety concerns (112 EAs).

Enumeration areas (EAs) in Zomba were selected from the universe of EAs produced by the National Statistics Office of Malawi from the 1998 Census. The sample of EAs was stratified by distance to the nearest township or trading centre. Of the 550 EAs in Zomba, 50 are in Zomba town and an additional 30 are classified as urban (township or trading center), while the remaining 470 are rural (population areas, or PAs). The stratified random sample of 176 EAs consisted of 29 EAs in Zomba town, eight trading centers in Zomba rural, 111 population areas within 16 kilometers of Zomba town, and 28 EAs more than 16 kilometers from Zomba town.

After selecting sample EAs, all households were listed in the 176 sample EAs using a short two-stage listing procedure. The first form, Form A, asked each household the following question: “Are there any never-married girls in this household who are between the ages of 13 and 22?” This form allowed the field teams to quickly identify households with members fitting into the sampling frame, thus significantly reducing the costs of listing. If the answer received on Form A was a “yes”, then Form B was filled to list members of the household to collect data on age, marital status, current schooling status, etc.

From this researchers could categorize the target population into two main groups: those who were out of school at baseline (baseline dropouts) and those who were in school at baseline (baseline schoolgirls). These two groups comprise the basis of our sampling frame. In each EA, enumerators sampled all eligible dropouts and approximately two-thirds of all eligible school girls, where the sampling percentage depended on the age and location of the baseline schoolgirl. This sampling procedure led to a total sample size of 3,796 with an average of 5.1 dropouts and 16.7 schoolgirls per EA.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The household survey consists of a multi-topic questionnaire administered to the households in which the selected sample respondents reside.

The survey consists of two parts: one that is administered to the head of the household and another that is administered to a core respondent - a sampled girl from the target population. The former collects information on the household roster, dwelling characteristics, household assets and durables, shocks, deaths and consumption. The core respondent survey provides information about her family background, her education and labor market participation, her health, her dating patterns, sexual behavior, marital expectations, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, her social networks, as well as her own consumption of girl-specific goods (such as soaps, mobile phone airtime, clothing, braids, sodas and alcoholic drinks, etc.).

Much of the information gathered in the third round is similar to the first and second rounds of data collection, but there is a significant portion of distinct and new information pertinent to Round 3.

Abstract

Malawi Conditional Cash Transfer Program (CCT) is a randomized cash transfer intervention targeting young women in Zomba region. The program provides incentives to current schoolgirls and recent dropouts to stay in or return to school. The incentives include average payment of US$10 a month conditional on satisfactory school attendance and direct payment of secondary school fees.

The CCT program started at the beginning of the Malawian school year in January 2008 and continued until November 2009. The impact evaluation study was designed to evaluate the impact of the program on various demographic and health outcomes of its target population, such as nutritional health, sexual behavior, fertility, and subsequent HIV risk.

Baseline data collection was administered from September 2007 to January 2008. The research targeted girls and young women, between the ages of 13 and 22, who were never married. Overall, 3,810 girls and young women were surveyed in the first round. The follow-up survey was carried out from October 2008 to February 2009. The third round was conducted between March and September 2010, after Malawi Conditional Cash Transfer Program was completed. The fourth round started in April 2012 and will continue until September 2012.

Datasets from the baseline round are documented here.

Enumeration Areas (EAs) in the study district of Zomba were selected from the universe of EAs produced by the National Statistics Office of Malawi from the 1998 Census. 176 enumeration areas were randomly sampled out of a total of 550 EAs using three strata: urban areas, rural areas near Zomba Town, and rural areas far from Zomba Town.

Baseline schoolgirls in treatment enumeration areas were randomly assigned to receive either conditional or unconditional transfers, or no transfers at all. A multi-topic questionnaire was administered to the heads of households, where the selected sample respondents resided, as well as to girls and young women.

Geographic coverage

Zomba district.

Zomba district in the Southern region was chosen as the site for this study for several reasons. First, it has a large enough population within a small enough geographic area rendering field work logistics easier and keeping transport costs lower. Zomba is a highly populated district, but distances from the district capital (Zomba Town) are relatively small. Second, characteristic of Southern Malawi, Zomba has a high rate of school dropouts and low educational attainment. Third, unlike many other districts, Zomba has the advantage of having a true urban center as well as rural areas. As the study sample was stratified to get representative samples from urban areas (Zomba town), rural areas near Zomba town, and distant rural areas in the district, we can analyze the heterogeneity of the impacts by urban/rural areas. Finally, while Southern Malawi, which includes Zomba, is poorer, has lower levels of education, and higher rates of HIV than Central and Northern Malawi, these differences are relative considering that Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest rates of HIV prevalence.

Analysis unit

• Households;
• Girls and young women.

Universe

The survey covers never married girls and young women between the ages of 13 and 22 in Zomba district.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

First, 176 enumeration areas (EA) were randomly sampled out of a total of 550 EAs using three strata in the study district of Zomba. Each of these 176 EAs were then randomly assigned treatment or control status. The three strata are urban, rural areas near Zomba Town, and rural areas far from Zomba Town. Rural areas were defined as being near if they were within a 16-kilometer radius of Zomba Town. Researchers did not sample any EAs in TA Mbiza due to safety concerns (112 EAs).

Enumeration areas (EAs) in Zomba were selected from the universe of EAs produced by the National Statistics Office of Malawi from the 1998 Census. The sample of EAs was stratified by distance to the nearest township or trading centre. Of the 550 EAs in Zomba, 50 are in Zomba town and an additional 30 are classified as urban (township or trading center), while the remaining 470 are rural (population areas, or PAs). The stratified random sample of 176 EAs consisted of 29 EAs in Zomba town, eight trading centers in Zomba rural, 111 population areas within 16 kilometers of Zomba town, and 28 EAs more than 16 kilometers from Zomba town.

After selecting sample EAs, all households were listed in the 176 sample EAs using a short two-stage listing procedure. The first form, Form A, asked each household the following question: "Are there any never-married girls in this household who are between the ages of 13 and 22?" This form allowed the field teams to quickly identify households with members fitting into the sampling frame, thus significantly reducing the costs of listing. If the answer received on Form A was a "yes", then Form B was filled to list members of the household to collect data on age, marital status, current schooling status, etc.

From this researchers could categorize the target population into two main groups: those who were out of school at baseline (baseline dropouts) and those who were in school at baseline (baseline schoolgirls). These two groups comprise the basis of our sampling frame. In each EA, enumerators sampled all eligible dropouts and 75%-100% of all eligible school girls, where the percentage depended on the age of the baseline schoolgirl. This sampling procedure led to a total sample size of 3,810 (in the first round, and 3,805 in follow-up rounds) with an average of 5.1 dropouts and 16.7 schoolgirls per EA.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The annual household survey consists of a multi-topic questionnaire administered to the households in which the selected sample respondents reside. The survey consists of two parts: one that is administered to the head of the household and another that is administered to the core respondent - the sampled girl from the target population. The former collects information on the household roster, dwelling characteristics, household assets and durables, shocks and consumption. The core respondent survey provides information about her family background, her education and labor market participation, her health, her dating patterns, sexual behavior, marital expectations, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, her social networks, as well as her own consumption of girl-specific goods (such as soaps, mobile phone airtime, clothing, braids, sodas and alcoholic drinks, etc.).

Abstract

The 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2022 BDHS) is the ninth national survey to report on the demographic and health conditions of women and their families in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted under the authority of the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of Bangladesh.

The primary objective of the 2022 BDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the BDHS collected information on: • Fertility and childhood mortality levels • Fertility preferences • Awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods • Maternal and child health, including breastfeeding practices • Nutrition levels • Newborn care

The information collected through the 2022 BDHS is intended to assist policymakers and program managers in designing and evaluating programs and strategies for improving the health of the population of Bangladesh. The survey also provides indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Bangladesh.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49 and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the 2022 BDHS is the Integrated Multi-Purpose Sampling Master Sample, selected from a complete list of enumeration areas (EAs) covering the whole country. It was prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) for the 2011 population census of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The sampling frame contains information on EA location, type of residence (city corporation, other than city corporation, or rural), and the estimated number of residential households. A sketch map that delineates geographic boundaries is available for each EA.

Bangladesh contains eight administrative divisions: Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet. Each division is divided into zilas and each zila into upazilas. Each urban area in an upazila is divided into wards, which are further subdivided into mohallas. A rural area in an upazila is divided into union parishads (UPs) and, within UPs, into mouzas. These administrative divisions allow the country to be separated into rural and urban areas.

The survey is based on a two-stage stratified sample of households. In the first stage, 675 EAs (237 in urban areas and 438 in rural areas) were selected with probability proportional to EA size. The BBS drew the sample in the first stage following specifications provided by ICF. A complete household listing operation was then carried out by Mitra and Associates in all selected EAs to provide a sampling frame for the second-stage selection of households.

In the second stage of sampling, a systematic sample of an average of 45 households per EA was selected to provide statistically reliable estimates of key demographic and health variables for urban and rural areas separately and for each of the eight divisions in Bangladesh.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Four types of questionnaires were used for the 2022 BDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire (completed by ever-married women age 15–49), the Biomarker Questionnaire, and two verbal autopsy questionnaires. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s model questionnaires, were adapted to reflect population and health issues relevant to Bangladesh. In addition, a selfadministered Fieldworker Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers. The questionnaires were adapted for use in Bangladesh after a series of meetings with a Technical Working Group (TWG). The questionnaires were developed in English and then translated to and printed in Bangla.

Cleaning operations

The survey data were collected using tablet PCs running Windows 10.1 and Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) software, jointly developed by the United States Census Bureau, ICF, and Serpro S.A. The Bangla language questionnaire was used for collecting data via computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). The CAPI program accepted only valid responses, automatically performed checks on ranges of values, skipped to the appropriate question based on the responses given, and checked the consistency of the data collected. Answers to the survey questions were entered into the PC tablets by each interviewer. Supervisors downloaded interview data to their computer, checked the data for completeness, and monitored fieldwork progress

Each day, after completion of interviews, field supervisors submitted data to the servers. Data were sent to the central office via the internet or other modes of telecommunication allowing electronic transfer of files. The data processing manager monitored the quality of the data received and downloaded completed files into the system. ICF provided the CSPro software for data processing and offered technical assistance in preparation of the data editing programs. Secondary editing was conducted simultaneously with data collection. All technical support for data processing and use of PC tablets was provided by ICF.

Abstract

Moldova's first Demographic and Health Survey (2005 MDHS) is a nationally representative sample survey of 7,440 women age 15-49 and 2,508 men age 15-59 selected from 400 sample points (clusters) throughout Moldova (excluding the Transnistria region). It is designed to provide data to monitor the population and health situation in Moldova; it includes several indicators which follow up on those from the 1997 Moldova Reproductive Health Survey (1997 MRHS) and the 2000 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (2000 MICS). The 2005 MDHS used a two-stage sample based on the 2004 Population and Housing Census and was designed to produce separate estimates for key indicators for each of the major regions in Moldova, including the North, Center, and South regions and Chisinau Municipality. Unlike the 1997 MRHS and the 2000 MICS surveys, the 2005 MDHS did not cover the region of Transnistria. Data collection took place over a two-month period, from June 13 to August 18, 2005.

The survey obtained detailed information on fertility levels, abortion levels, marriage, sexual activity, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of women and young children, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, adult health, and awareness and behavior regarding HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Hemoglobin testing was conducted on women and children to detect the presence of anemia. Additional features of the 2005 MDHS include the collection of information on international emigration, language preference for reading printed media, and domestic violence. The 2005 MDHS was carried out by the National Scientific and Applied Center for Preventive Medicine, hereafter called the National Center for Preventive Medicine (NCPM), of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. ORC Macro provided technical assistance for the MDHS through the USAID-funded MEASURE DHS project. Local costs of the survey were also supported by USAID, with additional funds from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and in-kind contributions from the NCPM.

MAIN RESULTS

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS

Ethnicity and Religion. Most women and men in Moldova are of Moldovan ethnicity (77 percent and 76 percent, respectively), followed by Ukrainian (8-9 percent of women and men), Russian (6 percent of women and men), and Gagauzan (4-5 percent of women and men). Romanian and Bulgarian ethnicities account for 2 to 3 percent of women and men. The overwhelming majority of Moldovans, about 95 percent, report Orthodox Christianity as their religion.

Residence and Age. The majority of respondents, about 58 percent, live in rural areas. For both sexes, there are proportionally more respondents in age groups 15-19 and 45-49 (and also 45-54 for men), whereas the proportion of respondents in age groups 25-44 is relatively lower. This U-shaped age distribution reflects the aging baby boom cohort following World War II (the youngest of the baby boomers are now in their mid-40s), and their children who are now mostly in their teens and 20s. The smaller proportion of men and women in the middle age groups reflects the smaller cohorts following the baby boom generation and those preceding the generation of baby boomers' children. To some degree, it also reflects the disproportionately higher emigration of the working-age population.

Education. Women and men in Moldova are universally well educated, with virtually 100 percent having at least some secondary or higher education; 79 percent of women and 83 percent of men have only a secondary or secondary special education, and the remainder pursues a higher education. More women (21 percent) than men (16 percent) pursue higher education.

Language Preference. Among women, preferences for language of reading material are about equal for Moldovan (37 percent) and Russian (35 percent) languages. Among men, preference for Russian (39 percent) is higher than for Moldovan (25 percent). A substantial percentage of women and men prefer Moldovan and Russian equally (27 percent of women and 32 percent of men).

Living Conditions. Access to electricity is almost universal for households in Moldova. Ninety percent of the population has access to safe drinking water, with 86 percent in rural areas and 96 percent in urban areas. Seventy-seven percent of households in Moldova have adequate means of sanitary disposal, with 91 percent of households in urban areas and only 67 percent in rural areas.

Children's Living Arrangements. Compared with other countries in the region, Moldova has the highest proportion of children who do not live with their mother and/or father. Only about two-thirds (69 percent) of children under age 15 live with both parents. Fifteen percent live with just their mother although their father is alive, 5 percent live with just their father although their mother is alive, and 7 percent live with neither parent although they are both alive. Compared with living arrangements of children in 2000, the situation appears to have worsened.

FERTILITY

Fertility Levels and Trends. The total fertility rate (TFR) in Moldova is 1.7 births. This means that, on average, a woman in Moldova will give birth to 1.7 children by the end of her reproductive period. Overall, fertility rates have declined since independence in 1991. However, data indicate that fertility rates may have increased in recent years. For example, women of childbearing age have given birth to, on average, 1.4 children at the end of their childbearing years. This is slightly less than the total fertility rate (1.7), with the difference indicating that fertility in the past three years is slightly higher than the accumulation of births over the past 30 years.

Fertility Differentials. The TFR for rural areas (1.8 births) is higher than that for urban areas (1.5 births). Results show that this urban-rural difference in childbearing rates can be attributed almost exclusively to younger age groups.

CONTRACEPTION

Knowledge of Contraception. Knowledge of family planning is nearly universal, with 99 percent of all women age 15-49 knowing at least one modern method of family planning. Among all women, the male condom, IUD, pills, and withdrawal are the most widely known methods of family planning, with over 80 percent of all women saying they have heard of these methods. Female sterilization is known by two-thirds of women, while periodic abstinence (rhythm method) is recognized by almost six in ten women. Just over half of women have heard of the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM), while 40-50 percent of all women have heard of injectables, male sterilization, and foam/jelly. The least widely known methods are emergency contraception, diaphragm, and implants.

Use of Contraception. Sixty-eight percent of currently married women are using a family planning method to delay or stop childbearing. Most are using a modern method (44 percent of married women), while 24 percent use a traditional method of contraception. The IUD is the most widely used of the modern methods, being used by 25 percent of married women. The next most widely used method is withdrawal, used by 20 percent of married women. Male condoms are used by about 7 percent of women, especially younger women. Five percent of married women have been sterilized and 4 percent each are using the pill and periodic abstinence (rhythm method). The results show that Moldovan women are adopting family planning at lower parities (i.e., when they have fewer children) than in the past. Among younger women (age 20-24), almost half (49 percent) used contraception before having any children, compared with only 12 percent of women age 45-49.

MATERNAL HEALTH

Antenatal Care and Delivery Care. Among women with a birth in the five years preceding the survey, almost all reported seeing a health professional at least once for antenatal care during their last pregnancy; nine in ten reported 4 or more antenatal care visits. Seven in ten women had their first antenatal care visit in the first trimester. In addition, virtually all births were delivered by a health professional, in a health facility. Results also show that the vast majority of women have timely checkups after delivering; 89 percent of all women received a medical checkup within two days of the birth, and another 6 percent within six weeks.

CHILD HEALTH

Childhood Mortality. The infant mortality rate for the 5-year period preceding the survey is 13 deaths per 1,000 live births, meaning that about 1 in 76 infants dies before the first birthday. The under-five mortality rate is almost the same with 14 deaths per 1,000 births. The near parity of these rates indicates that most all early childhood deaths take place during the first year of life. Comparison with official estimates of IMRs suggests that this rate has been improving over the past decade.

NUTRITION

Breastfeeding Practices. Breastfeeding is nearly universal in Moldova: 97 percent of children are breastfed. However the duration of breast-feeding is not long, exclusive breastfeeding is not widely practiced, and bottle-feeding is not uncommon. In terms of the duration of breastfeeding, data show that by age 12-15 months, well over half of children (59 percent) are no longer being breastfed. By age 20-23 months, almost all children have been weaned.

Exclusive breastfeeding is not widely practiced and supplementary feeding begins early: 57 percent of breastfed children less than 4 months are exclusively breastfed, and 46 percent under six months are exclusively breastfeed. The remaining breastfed children also consume plain water, water-based liquids or juice, other milk in addition to breast milk, and complimentary foods. Bottle-feeding is fairly widespread in Moldova;