Ghana - Demographic and Health Survey 1993

Start	End	Cycle
1993-09	1994-02	N/A

Face-to-face
The questionnaires were pre-tested by staffs of the Ghana Statistical Service, mainly professional staff and senior technical officers who were expected to become field supervisors and editors during the actual survey. A four-week training session was held from 9th August to 4th September, 1993 for the field personnel. It involved both classroom instruction and field practice. A majority of the interviewers were sixth formers who had completed their National Service; the rest were nurses from the Ministry of Health and junior technical staff of the Statistical Service. Training was done using the English version of the questionnaires, after which trainees conducted practice interviews using the local language versions of the questionnaires.

Interviewers were selected for the field work based on three criteria: performance in a written examination taken at the end of the training session, performance during field practice interviews and general attitude towards work.

A one-week training course was organized for field supervisors and editors after the interviewers' training to ensure that they were conversant with their duties. A written examination was conducted at the end of the training to test their understanding of the data collection procedures.

Personnel selected for the field work (primarily male) were grouped into ten interviewing teams each consisting of seven persons: a supervisor, an editor, 4 interviewers and a driver. Each team was assigned to one of the ten survey regions into which the country was zoned.

Field work began on 27th September, 1993. Interviews were conducted at an average rate of four households a day. Editors monitored the interviews and checked all completed questionnaires for errors. They also took anthropometric measurements of women and children. Supervisors made random spot checks of households already interviewed to ensure that what the interviewers recorded was correct and genuine. They also verified samples of questionnaires edited by the field editors and observed at least one interview per interviewer per week to make sure that the interviewers were asking the questions correctly and recording the right responses.

During the field work, four supervisory visits were paid to each of the teams to check the quality of the data being collected, ascertain whether the right procedures were being followed and assist in resolving any problems that a team might be encountering. Field work was completed on 4th February, 1994.

Survey instruments used to elicit information for the 1993 GDHS are
1) Household Schedule
2) Women's Questionnaire and
3) Men's Questionnaire.

The questionnaires were structured based on the Demographic and Health Survey Model B Questionnaire designed for countries with low levels of contraceptive use. The final version of the questionnaires evolved out of a series of meetings with personnel of relevant ministries, institutions and organizations engaged in activities relating to fertility and family planning, health and nutrition and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

The questionnaires were first developed in English and later translated and printed in five major local languages, namely: Akan, Dagbani, Ewe, Ga, and Hausa. In the selected households, all usual members and visitors were listed in the household schedule. Background information, such as age, sex, relationship to head of household, marital status and level of education, was collected on each listed person. Questions on economic activity, occupation, industry, employment status, number of days worked in the past week and number of hours worked per day was asked of all persons age seven years and over. Those who did not work during the reference period were asked whether or not they actively looked for work.

Information on the health and disability status of all persons was also collected in the household schedule. Migration history was elicited from all persons age 15 years and over, as well as information on the survival status and residence of natural parents of all children less than 15 years in the household.

Data on source of water supply, type of toilet facility, number of sleeping rooms available to the household, material of floor and ownership of specified durable consumer goods were also elicited.

Finally, the household schedule was the instrument used to identify eligible women and men from whom detailed information was collected during the individual interview.

The women's questionnaire was used to collect information on eligible women identified in the household schedule. Eligible women were defined as those age 15-49 years who are usual members of the household and visitors who spent the night before the interview with the household. Questions asked in the questionnaire were on the following topics:

- Background Characteristics
- Reproductive History
- Contraceptive Knowledge and Use
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Immunization and Health
- Marriage
- Fertility Preferences
- Maternal Mortality
- Husband's Background and Women's Work
- Knowledge of AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

All female respondents with at least one live birth since January 1990 and their children born since 1st January 1990 had their height and weight taken.

The men's questionnaire was administered to men in sample households in a third of selected EAs. An eligible man was 15-59 years old who is either a usual household member or a visitor who spent the night preceding the day of interview with the household.

Topics enquired about in the men's questionnaire included the following:
- Background Characteristics
- Reproductive History
- Contraceptive Knowledge and Use
- Marriage
- Fertility Preferences
- Knowledge of AIDS and Other STDs.