Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

ForewordDHS surveys collect a wealth of information on widely different topics for a sample of the population ofthe countries that participate in the DHS program. The information is processed and presented in tablesthat describe the situation of the relevant country. Before producing these tables, many steps arenecessary to ensure that the data properly reflect the situations they intend to describe. This involvesweighting the sample results, considering such factors as the sample design and response rates, theconstruction of summary variables, and the calculation of mortality and fertility rates.Many of the procedures involved are straightforward and are familiar to demographic analysts. However,other procedures need special attention and are built on the basis of experience accumulated over manyyears regarding the preferred way of calculating certain indicators, what to guard against, and what not toforget.This Guide to DHS Statistics is meant to be a tool for all data users. It can also be an aid for those whoare just starting out in data analysis, a tool for checking procedures for those whose skills are moreadvanced, and a reference document for all who deal with data generated from the database of a DHSsurvey.I hope that this valuable tool will significantly increase the capacity of many researchers to do their owntabulations and analyses. I trust that it will help make data users aware of the precautions to take and theprocedures that need to be followed to ensure that generated data are as correct as they can be. It shouldalso ensure that the strengths and limitations of certain data and indicators are clear to all users.I thank Shea Rutstein and Guillermo Rojas for an excellent job and hope that you will find this documentvery useful in your work with DHS data and beyond.Martin VaessenProject DirectorGuide to DHS Statistics iv September 2003