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			| underfive children HW data: why missing a lot in IR files [message #24188] | Thu, 10 March 2022 22:05  |  
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					|  bun_2019fall Messages: 9
 Registered: August 2021
 | Member |  |  |  
	| Hi DHS program, 
 I recently try to use child nutrition data in IR files: specifically 3 variables, HW70_, HW71_, HW72_
 
 
 I have been working with data collected from more than 30 countries, and I found that the HW_ data have a lot of missing. That is, I found that for a single survey, not all underfive children have HW_ information. Rather, there is a significant proportion of missing (for many surveys).
 
 
 Here is a Stata example using NGIR7AFL.DTA:
 
 use NGIR7AFL.DTA, clear
 *children born during the last five years, the calendar starts 60 months ago
 gen calstart=v008-60
 *use the birth_01 as an example
 gen calbirth1=1 if b3_01 >= calstart & b3_01!=.
 tab calbirth1 /*21,855 birth_01*/
 tab b8_01 if calbirth1==1 /*20,488 underfive children*/
 sum hw70_1 if calbirth1==1 /*only 7,717 observations*/
 
 
 I checked the specific documentation for this survey (and some other surveys) and I could not figure our why there is missing. I assume that HW_ is measured for all underfive children (living births by the time of the survey). But for most of the surveys that I am working at, HW_ is obviously not complete for all children born in the last five years. I wonder if I miss anything here? I also tried to search for any filter variable to see if only certain births are selected for anthropometric measures. But I could not find it. But children's height and weight information (separate variables) are pretty much aligning with the sample size for HW_ variables.
 
 Any directions are much appreciated!
 Thank you in advance!
 
 
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