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ITN/untreated bednets in Household Members (PR) dataset [message #10757] Fri, 09 September 2016 04:50 Go to next message
mpearcy is currently offline  mpearcy
Messages: 3
Registered: September 2016
Location: Brussels
Member
Hello everyone!

We are experiencing serious issues in the calculation of standardized indicators using the Household Members (PR) datasets (Burkina Faso, 2003, 2010 and 2014). I believe that the problem lies in the ITN/untreated net variable to be used as a filter.

Calculating ownership from Household (HR) dataset works fine. We combine data from variables hml10_1 to hml10_7 (2010 and 2014) and hml10_01 to hml10_10 (2003) to determine which households own treated nets and exclude untreated nets.

However, calculating Access (for example) from Household Members dataset using hml10 as a filter for ITN/untreated nets returns unwanted results - much lower than expected. To my surprise, Yes/No values in hml10 are only reported for individuals who actually slept under a net the previous night. Those who don't are assigned "N/As", which prevents us from determining who had access to an ITN - even though they didn't use it.

Alternatively, we've used hml7 ("bednet brand") to exclude untreated nets, which returns quite similar values to those calculated with the DHS online calculator, but slightly higher (0.1% - 4.0%, typically).

Which variable should we use as an ITN/untreated bednet filter in the Household Members dataset?

Alternatively, we could extract ITN ownership status from Household (HR) dataset, an apply it to the Household Members (PR) dataset, but I doublt that this is the proper way of doing it...

Thanks for your assistance!
Re: ITN/untreated bednets in Household Members (PR) dataset [message #10762 is a reply to message #10757] Fri, 09 September 2016 11:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Liz-DHS
Messages: 1516
Registered: February 2013
Senior Member
A response from Senior Malaria Expert, Dr. Lia Florey:
Quote:

Dear User,

Although there are surely multiple approaches one could take to calculating this indicator we would indeed recommend merging the information on the number of ITNs per household from the HR file (using the hml7 variables you mentioned using in your email) to the information on individual household members in the PR file. An example of Stata code for calculating this indicator is available in the Household Survey Indicators for Malaria Control Manual available here:
http:// archiverbm.rollbackmalaria.org/toolbox/docs/rbmtoolbox/tool_ HouseholdSurveyIndicatorsForMalariaControl.pdf

You might try these steps:
1) Calculate the number of ITNs per household in the HR file and merge this variable into the household member (PR) file by cluster and household (hv001 and hv002).
2) Calculate the access variable as the ratio of ITNs per household*2 to the number of de facto household members (usual members or visitors who spent the previous night in the household -- hv013).
3) Set a maximum value of 1.0 for the access variable.
4) Calculate the mean access value among de facto individuals in the PR datafile (hv103==1).

This video may also be helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfTXcc13GOI

Please note, as mentioned in the video, that the access variable cannot be assigned to specific individuals. We can say that 80% of household members had access to an ITN but not specifically which of the individuals in that household did or did not have access.

I hope that this gives you enough information to calculate the access indicator from the Burkina Faso datafiles. I tested it for the 2010 and 2014 surveys and was able to reproduce the access estimates available on StatCompiler and in the DHS and MIS reports. Please let me know if you have additional problems.



Re: ITN/untreated bednets in Household Members (PR) dataset [message #10766 is a reply to message #10762] Fri, 09 September 2016 18:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mpearcy is currently offline  mpearcy
Messages: 3
Registered: September 2016
Location: Brussels
Member
Dear Dr Florey,

Thanks for your kind answer. I will compute the indicators following your instructions on monday, but I don't expect any other issues. I wanted to make sure which variable should be used for the ITN/untreated net filter, and this is all clear now.

I will post a final message in the beginning of next week to let you know that everything went fine.

All the best,

Morgan
Re: ITN/untreated bednets in Household Members (PR) dataset [message #10788 is a reply to message #10757] Mon, 12 September 2016 16:03 Go to previous message
mpearcy is currently offline  mpearcy
Messages: 3
Registered: September 2016
Location: Brussels
Member
As expected, all my Access values now correspond to those computed by the calculator.

Many thanks!


Morgan
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