Household-Level Data

The China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) was designed to examine the effects of the health, nutrition, and family planning policies and programs implemented by national and local governments and to see how the social and economic transformation of Chinese society is affecting the health and nutritional status of its population. The impact on nutrition and health behaviors and outcomes is gauged by changes in community organizations and programs as well as by changes in sets of household and individual economic, demographic, and social factors. CHNS covers nine provinces that vary substantially in geography, economic development, public resources, and health indicators. A complete household roster has been used as a reference for subsequent blocks of questions on time allocation at home (e.g., child care, elderly care, other key home activities) and economic activities. Questions on income and time allocation probe for any possible activity each person might have engaged in during the previous year, both in and out of the formal market. Information on water sources, construction, condition of the home, and ownership of consumer durables is gathered from the respondent. Additional questions probe for all possible items the household might own. Full income from market and nonmarket activities is imputed. The detailed estimation of income that is possible using these data represents a significant advance in the measurement of income in China. Inclusion of nonmonetary government subsidies such as state-subsidized housing is an especially important advance.