Harmonized Household Health Survey, HHHS 2007 - Iraq

Abstract --------------------------- The harmonized data set on health, created and published by the ERF, is a subset of Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2006/2007. It was derived from the household, individual and health modules, collected in the context of the above mentioned survey. The sample was then used to create a harmonized health survey, comparable with the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012 micro data set. ----> Overview of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2006/2007: In order to develop an effective poverty reduction policies and programs, Iraqi policy makers need to know how large the poverty problem is, what kind of people are poor, and what are the causes and consequences of poverty. Until recently, they had neither the data nor an official poverty line. (The last national income and expenditure survey was in 1988.) In response to this situation, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation established the Household Survey and Policies for Poverty Reduction Project in 2006, with financial and technical support of the World Bank. The project has been led by the Iraqi Poverty Reduction Strategy High Committee, a group which includes representatives from Parliament, the prime minister's office, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the ministries of Planning and Development Cooperation, Finance, Trade, Labor and Social Affairs, Education, Health, Women's Affairs, and Baghdad University. The Project has consisted of three components: - Collection of data which can provide a measurable indicator of welfare, i.e. The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES). - Establishment of an official poverty line (i.e. a cut off point below which people are considered poor) and analysis of poverty (how large the poverty problem is, what kind of people are poor and what are the causes and consequences of poverty). - Development of a Poverty Reduction Strategy, based on a solid understanding of poverty in Iraq. The survey has four main objectives. These are: • To provide data that will help in the measurement and analysis of poverty. • To provide data required to establish a new consumer price index (CPI) since the current outdated CPI is based on 1993 data and no longer applies to the country's vastly changed circumstances. • To provide data that meet the requirements and needs of national accounts. • To provide other indicators, such as consumption expenditure, sources of income, human development, and time use. The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office were then harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, to create a comparable version with the 2012 Household Socio Economic Survey in Iraq. Harmonization at this stage only included unifying variables' names, labels and some definitions. See: Iraq 2007 & 2012- Variables Mapping & Availability Matrix.pdf provided in the external resources for further information on the mapping of the original variables on the harmonized ones, in addition to more indications on the variables' availability in both survey years and relevant comments. Geographic coverage --------------------------- National coverage: Covering a sample of urban, rural and metropolitan areas in all the governorates including those in Kurdistan Region. 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 --------------------------- ----> Total sample size and stratification: The total effective sample size of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 is 17,822 households. The survey was nominally designed to visit 18,144 households - 324 in each of 56 major strata. The strata are the rural, urban and metropolitan sections of each of Iraq's 18 governorates, with the exception of Baghdad, which has three metropolitan strata. The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 and the MICS 2006 survey intended to visit the same nominal sample. Variable q0040 indicates whether this was indeed the case. ----> Sample frame: The 1997 population census frame was applied to the 15 governorates that participated in the census (the three governorates in Kurdistan Region of Iraq were excluded). For Sulaimaniya, the population frame prepared for the compulsory education project was adopted. For Erbil and Duhouk, the enumeration frame implemented in the 2004 Iraq Living Conditions Survey was updated and used. The population covered by Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) included all households residing in Iraq from November 1, 2006, to October 30, 2007, meaning that every household residing within Iraq's geographical boundaries during that period potentially could be selected for the sample. ----> Primary sampling units and the listing and mapping exercise: The 1997 population census frame provided a database for all households. The smallest enumeration unit was the village in rural areas and the majal (census enumeration area), which is a collection of 15-25 urban households. The majals were merged to form Primary Sampling Units (PSUs), containing 70-100 households each. In Kurdistan, PSUs were created based on the maps and frames updated by the statistics offices. Villages in rural areas, especially those with few inhabitants, were merged to form PSUs. Selecting a truly representative sample required that changes between 1997 and the pilot survey be accounted for. The names and addresses of the households in each sample point (that is, the selected PSU) were updated; and a map was drawn that defined the unit's borders, buildings, houses, and the streets and alleys passing through. All buildings were renumbered. A list of heads of household in each sample point was prepared from forms that were filled out and used as a frame for selecting the sample households. ----> Sampling strategy and sampling stages: The sample was selected in two stages, with groups of majals (Census Enumeration Areas) as Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) and households as Secondary Sampling Units. In the first stage, 54 PSUs were selected with probability proportional to size (pps) within each stratum, using the number of households recorded by the 1997 Census as a measure of size. In the second stage, six households were selected by systematic equal probability sampling (seps) within each PSU. To these effects, a cartographic updating and household listing operation was conducted in 2006 in all 3,024 PSUs, without resorting to the segmentation of any large PSUs. The total sample is thus nominally composed of 6 households in each of 3,024 PSUs. ----> Sample Points Trios, teams and survey waves: The PSUs selected in each governorate (270 in Baghdad and 162 in each of the other governorates) were sorted into groups of three neighboring PSUs called trios -- 90 trios in Baghdad and 54 per governorate elsewhere. The three PSUs in each trio do not necessarily belong to the same stratum. The 12 months of the data collection period were divided into 18 periods of 20 or 21 days called survey waves. Fieldworkers were organized into teams of three interviewers, each team being responsible for interviewing one trio during a survey wave. The survey used 56 teams in total - 5 in Baghdad and 3 per governorate elsewhere. The 18 trios assigned to each team were allocated into survey waves at random. The 'time use' module was administered to two of the six households selected in each PSU: nominally the second and fifth households selected by the seps procedure in the PSU. ----> Time-use sample: The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) questionnaire on time use covered all household members aged 10 years and older. A subsample of one-third of the households was selected (the second and fifth of the six households in each sample point). The second and fourth visits were designated for completion of the time-use sheet, which covered all activities performed by every member of the household. A more detailed description of the allocation of sample across governorates is provided in the tabulation report document available among external resources in both English and Arabic. Sampling deviation --------------------------- ----> Exceptional Measures The design did not consider the replacement of any of the randomly selected units (PSUs or households.) However, sometimes a team could not visit a cluster during the allocated wave because of unsafe security conditions. When this happened, that cluster was then swapped with another cluster from a randomly selected future wave that was considered more secure. If none were considered secure, a sample point was randomly selected from among those that had been visited already. The team then visited a new cluster within that sample point. (That is, the team visited six households that had not been previously interviewed.) The original cluster as well as the new cluster were both selected by systematic equal probability sampling. This explains why the survey datasets only contain data from 2,876 of the 3,024 originally selected PSUs, whereas 55 of the PSUs contain more that the six households nominally dictated by the design. The wave number in the survey datasets is always the nominal wave number, corresponding to the random allocation considered by the design. The effective interview dates can be found in questions 35 to 39 of the survey questionnaires. Remarkably few of the original clusters could not be visited during the fieldwork. Nationally, less than 2 percent of the original clusters (55 of 3,024) had to be replaced. Of the original clusters, 20 of 54 (37 percent) could not be visited in the stratum of “Kirkuk/other urban” and 19 of 54 (35 percent) could not be visited in “Ninevah/other urban.” The other strata had far fewer clusters that could not be visited. In the city of Baghdad, all original clusters were visited; in the stratum “Baghdad/rural,” only 6 of 54 original clusters (11 percent) could not be visited and had to be replaced. The required sample size of 54 clusters in Kirkuk was obtained through two means. First, eight new clusters were selected in previously visited sample points, using the approach described above. Second, 12 clusters were selected in new residential areas that had not existed at the time of the original sample frame. These 12 clusters were selected from among the newly identified PSUs using the same two-phase sampling method that had been used for the original clusters. All 54 clusters in Kirkuk were visited during the normal fieldwork period (that is, during waves 1 to 18). To account for the new residential area, the population of Kirkuk (used for constructing weights) was increased by 38,000, bringing the revised population to 1,129,000. In Sulaimaniya, a new residential area was added that had not existed at the time of the original sample frame. Eighteen additional clusters were selected from among the newly identified PSUs with the same two-phase sampling method used for the original clusters. This brought the total number of clusters in Sulaimaniya to 72. The additional 18 clusters were visited after the completion of wave 18. The fieldwork for these additional 18 clusters is referred to as waves 19 and 20. The population of Sulaimaniya (used for constructing weights) was not increased because the population of the new residential areas moved from within the same governorate. To identify the 30 PSUs resulting from these deviations in the survey datasets, their original 'cluster numbers' (ranging from 0001 to 3024) were increased by 5000. In Erbil and Duhouk governorates, waves 3, 4, and 5 could not be implemented as planned for logistical reasons. The fieldwork for these three waves was deferred until wave 18 was completed. The fieldwork period was compressed by eliminating breaks so that the work of the three waves was completed in the time normally allocated to two waves. These additional waves are referred to as waves 19 and 20. A more detailed description of the allocation of the original clusters that could not be visited is provided in table I-1 in the tabulaion report document available among external resources in both English and Arabic. Mode of data collection --------------------------- Face-to-face [f2f] Research instrument --------------------------- ----> Preparation: A socio-economic survey questionnaire implemented by COSIT in 2002 served as version zero in creating the 2007 IHSES questionnaire. Version zero went through nine subsequent iterations before the final version emerged on June 6, 2006. Two rounds of pre-testing were carried out in September and November 2005. Revisions were made based on feedback from the field team, World Bank experts, and others. Seven other iterations took place before the final version was implemented in a pilot survey in March 2006. The questionnaire was revised again after the pilot survey. This process culminated with the final version of the questionnaire that was adopted and implemented for the actual survey. ----> The pre-test: A pre-test was necessary to test the questionnaire and the related field manual, and to determine the actual requirements for implementing the survey. The pre-test was carried out in two rounds in Baghdad and Diala governorates. A sample of 12 households, selected across social levels, was tested from September 22–24 in Baghdad and in the rural areas of Diala. The second round was conducted on October 31 and November 1 among 20 households in urban areas of Baghdad and rural areas of Diala. COSIT prepared detailed reports covering implementation, teamwork, interview results, the time required to collect data, and comments on the questionnaire and manual. These reports were shared with the World Bank, which helped with a comprehensive questionnaire revision in coordination with technical consultants. A team of central supervisors and the staff of the Department of Living Conditions Statistics participated in the implementation of the pre-test. ----> Pilot survey: A pilot survey was conducted on March 15, 2006, to identify deficiencies and to ensure solid procedures for technical implementation and logistics. The pilot survey was carried out in Baghdad, Al-Qadisiya, Basrah, Sulaimaniya, and Duhouk. A sample of 216 households was selected. Thirty-six households were selected in the urban and rural areas of each governorate (except Baghdad, where 72 households were selected because of its population weight). The reference period for household consumption expenditure was 10 days. Fieldwork was conducted over 18 days. This allowed all sections of the questionnaire to be completed and the household diary expenditure data to be exported as planned. COSIT conducted a training course in Baghdad on March 6–9 for pilot survey staff. Seventy-one COSIT staff members participated, including 6 central supervisors, 5 governorate coordinators, 12 local supervisors, 36 interviewers, and 12 data entry operators. In addition, senior COSIT personnel from the Living Conditions Department participated. The field manual was explained. Data entry was performed at the centers of the pilot survey governorates, where COSIT provided the instructional equipment and materials. Following the survey, COSIT prepared a comprehensive report on technical and logistical challenges encountered during the implementation process. The recommendations in COSIT’s report were approved, after which the questionnaire and manual were amended in coordination with the Bank consultants. ----> Questionnaire parts: The questionnaire consists of five parts, each with several sections. Part One—Socio-Economic Data Section 1: Household Roster Section 2: Rations Received and Consumption of Provisions Section 3: Housing Section 4: Education Section 5: Health Section 6: Activities, Entertainment, and Hobbies Section 7: Job Search and Past Employment Part Two—Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Expenditures Section 8: Expenditures on Nonfood Services and Commodities (past 30 days) Section 9: Expenditures on Nonfood Services and Commodities (past 90 days) Section 10: Expenditures on Nonfood Services and Commodities (past 12 months) Part Three—Expenditure, Income, and Other Section 11: Daily Expenditure on Repetitive Food and Nonfood Commodities Section 12: Jobs during the Previous 12 Months Section 13: Wage Earnings Section 14: Nonwage Earning Activities Section 15: Income from Property and Transfers Section 16: Durable Goods Section 17: Loans, Credits, and Assistance Section 18: Risk Part Four—Diary of Daily Expenditure on Food Commodities Part Five—Time-Use Sheet Cleaning operations --------------------------- ----> Raw Data: Data editing took place at a number of stages throughout the processing, including: -- A. Software packages: The data processing system for the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) was constructed primarily with CSPro, a specialized package widely used for census and household surveys. In addition, Visual Basic was used to build the user's menu for the system. Validation rules were established for most fields, with screens to control the entered data. The objectives of these validation rules are to: • Ensure accurate entry and editing of the questionnaire data. • Check that all rules and instructions for filling out the questionnaire are followed-for example, skipping between fields and filtering the data. • Provide capacity to detect, follow up, and correct inconsistencies. ----> Data entry, editing, and data processing employed the following programs: • Data entry: CSPro was primarily used to write the system. Screens were built to conform with the numbering of the questionnaire items and the field names. • Data editing and consistency: CSPro was used to create rejection reports in the three languages used in the survey (Arabic, Kurdish, and English). The programs were prepared to detect and report a total of 315 abnormal situations in the data. • Exporting data to the system to produce output tables: SPSS was used to produce output tables. A separate program was designed to transfer the raw data into the SPSS databases for statistical analysis. The exporting process produced files corresponding to the parts of the questionnaire. • Processing for remaining rejections: The STATA software package was used to create programs to check and correct unresolved errors or rejections in the data files after the fieldwork had ended. These programs relied on mathematical and statistical methods and comparisons among households and governorates. They were able to identify outliers and adjust values automatically. When these data checks were complete, the files were converted from STATA to SPSS in order to create the output tables. • Remote access: Log-Me-In service through the Internet was used, allowing the data management team at a central location to follow up and download files from the data entry computers in the field. -- B. Stages of data processing: To ensure accuracy and consistency, the data were edited at the following stages: • Interviewer: Double checks all answers on the household questionnaire, confirming that they are clear and correct. Writes in codes by hand for each field. Some calculations are made within the questionnaire. • Local supervisor: Checks to make sure that questionnaire has been completed correctly before being forwarded to the data entry operator. • Data management: During data entry, rejected items are flagged through editing and a consistency check program, based on validation rules and price ranges specified in the program. These controls are repeated, first during the entry sessions and then when the data is entirely entered. The same entry program is used, with adaptations for interactive work and for batch-runs without entry operators. • Statistical analysis: After exporting the data files from CSPro to SPSS, the Statistical Analysis Unit uses program commands to identify irregular or nonlogical values, in addition to auditing some variables. • World Bank consultants in coordination with the COSIT data management team: The World Bank technical consultants use additional programs in SPSS and STATA to examine and correct remaining inconsistencies within the data files. The software detects errors by analyzing questionnaire items according to the expected ----> Harmonized Data: - The SPSS package is used to harmonize the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 with Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012. - The harmonization process starts with raw data files received from the Statistical Office. - A program is generated for each dataset to create harmonized variables. - Data is saved on the household and individual level, in SPSS and then converted to STATA, to be disseminated. Response rate --------------------------- Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) reached a total of 18,144 households. Interviews were fully carried out for 98.62 percent of these households. The highest interview rates were in Missan (99.8 percent), Al-Muthanna (99.7 percent), and Al-Najaf (99.6 percent) governorates. The lowest were in Duhouk (92.4 percent), Diala (92.8 percent), and Al-Anbar (94.3 percent) governorates. Among the 1.39 percent of interviews that were not fully completed, 0.55 percent were partially achieved; no usable information was obtained from 0.06 percent; 0.33 percent refused the interviews; 0.33 percent of the households could not be found; 0.01 percent of the houses could not be found; 0.08 percent of the housing units were found to be unoccupied; and 0.03 percent of the housing units turned out to be seasonal. The table below gives the response rates by stratum: Stratum Rural Urban Metro1 Metro2 Metro3 Total Duhok 93.5% 99.1% 84.6% 92.4% Mosul 100.% 99.1% 99.4% 99.5% Sulaimaniya 98.1% 97.5% 94.8% 85.2% 95.6% Kirkuk 82.7% 94.8% 117.% 98.3% Erbil 97.8% 95.7% 96.0% 96.5% Diyala 89.8% 96.9% 91.7% 92.8% Anbar 86.4% 98.1% 98.5% 94.3% Baghdad 99.7% 99.4% 99.1% 98.1% 96.9% 98.6% Babylon 98.5% 98.8% 96.9% 98.0% Kerbela 99.7% 96.9% 98.5% 98.4% Wasit 98.5% 98.5% 97.5% 98.1% Salah Al-Deen 97.2% 99.7% 99.4% 98.8% Najaf 100.% 98.8% 100.% 99.6% Qadisiya 98.1% 100.% 100.% 99.4% Muthanna 99.7% 100.% 99.4% 99.7% Thi-Qar 97.8% 98.8% 98.8% 98.5% Maysan 99.7% 99.7% 100.% 99.8% Basrah 99.7% 98.8% 98.1% 98.9% Total 96.5% 98.4% 98.3% 94.9% 96.9% 97.6% It should be noted that Baghdad has three metropolitan strata by design, whereas an additional metropolitan stratum appeared in Suleimaniya for reasons explained in the field "Deviations from Sample Design". In Kirkuk the response rate is lower than average in the rural stratum and higher that 100 percent in the metropolitan stratum as a result of the special replacement procedures used there (certain unsecure rural PSUs were replaced by metropolitan PSUs - see field "Deviations from Sample Design".)