The Quality of Anthropometric Data and Investigator Roles in India’s National Family Health Survey

Laxmi Kant Dwivedi, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Srei Chanda, IPE Global
Somnath Jana, PhD Research Scholar
Anjali Bansal, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

There has been a limited understanding of the quality of anthropometric data in large-scale surveys in India. In this study, we computed anthropometric data quality over two rounds of NFHS 4 and 5 at the national and selected state levels, using ten data quality indicators for stunting and wasting. An attempt also made to examine characteristics of investigators on collected data of height and weight. Standard deviations in stunting (HAZ) and wasting (WHZ) are shown an increase in most of the states. Completeness of date of birth has improved in all the states. Manipur exhibited the highest data quality for stunting in both NFHS rounds, while Karnataka had the poorest data quality for stunting in NFHS-5. In terms of wasting, Rajasthan showed the best data quality, whereas Andhra Pradesh had the worst. These regional variations highlight the differing competencies of survey agencies, characteristics of investigators involved and the underlying drivers of data collection. Additionally, data quality analysis by interview timing indicated that NFHS-4 had the highest quality data mid-survey, while NFHS-5 peaked at the survey's end. When allocating teams, it is essential to consider the targeted population size, geographic diversity, surveyor skills, and rigorous monitoring of fieldwork in new sample areas.

Keywords: Data and Methods, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Population and Development, Population Policies

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