Matlab [Bangladesh] Health and Socioeconomic Survey (MHSS), 1996

Résumé 0

The Matlab Health and Socioeconomic Survey (MHSS) was carried out in 1996 to examine health status, health care utilization, social network characteristics, and the impact of community services and infrastructure with respect to adults and elderly persons residing in the Matlab region of rural Bangladesh. The MHSS Household questionnaire was administered to three separate samples: (1) The Main Household Data (MHD) sample (Parts 1-84), which was the primary sample, consisted of 4,364 households clustered in 2,687 baris, or residential compounds; (2) The Determinants of Natural Fertility Survey (DNSF) sample (Parts 85-167) was made up of follow-up groups of 1,789 households of 2,441 women who were interviewed about their health and pregnancy status in the mid-1970s; (3) The Outmigrant (MIG) sample (Parts 168-250) consisted of 552 persons who had left and not returned to the original household of the primary (MHD) sample between 1982 and 1996, the start of the MHSS. The Household questionnaire elicited information on demographic characteristics of respondents such as gender, age, marital status, information on non-coresident spouses, religion, education, main occupational activity, and housing structure, including size, materials, availability of electricity, home ownership, and rent. Questions were also posed regarding household economy and an inventory of household consumption was taken, including the value of foods purchased and self-produced in the last week, purchases of personal care and household items during the last month, and purchases of durable goods in the last year. Respondents were also asked about the location of their health care providers and the travel time and travel cost to see them. Retrospective life histories were gathered from women regarding children ever born, pregnancy outcomes and infant feeding, and contraceptive knowledge and use, along with information about menarche and menopause. In addition, detailed pregnancy histories from women aged 50 years and older were collected. Information regarding children under age 15 was gathered by proxy regarding the child's educational history, morbidity, medications, and inpatient and outpatient care utilization. Results of physical performance and cognitive ability tests as well as anthropometric measures were recorded. The Community/Provider questionnaire (Parts 251-412) collected data on community infrastructure and services from 141 villages of the primary (MHD) sample respondents, along with detailed information about 254 health/family planning providers and 100 educational facilities. Questions on the Community questionnaire covered availability of facilities, public transportation, characteristics of roads, price of fuel, water sources and sanitation, agriculture and industry, credit institutions, migration, and historical events. Health providers from Thana health complexes (THCs) and family welfare centers (FWCs), village doctors, pharmacists, traditional healers, and trained/traditional birth attendants were asked about their education and training, services/activities, equipment and supplies, and medicines, along with the historical development of the facility. Also collected were direct observations from interviewers regarding the cleanliness of the examination rooms, laboratories, and vaccine storage rooms. In addition, hypothetical patient vignettes were presented in which providers were tested as to their knowledge of processes. Information also was obtained from primary and secondary schools on characteristics such as date of establishment, school hours, administration and religious orientation, admission fees, tuition, number of students and teachers, building attributes, whether particular facilities (gymnasium, library) were available at the school, and whether the school was used by other institutions. Part 418, Additional Household and Individual Weights for Primary (MHD) Sample, contains additional weights for the primary sample.