The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) serves as a crucial tool for gathering extensive data on health and demographic indicators across India's states and districts. It plays an essential role in providing insights into family planning, maternal and child health, and various population statistics.
Initially, the NFHS aimed to provide data at the state level. However, the need for more granular information led to its expansion to include district-level estimates. For instance, the sample size significantly increased from approximately 100,000 households in NFHS-3 to around 600,000 in NFHS-4.
Gathering accurate data at the district level presents numerous challenges, primarily due to the requirement for a larger sample size and more field investigators. In states like Bihar, the need for around 150 investigators posed considerable difficulties in supervision and maintaining data quality control.
The NFHS employs various strategies to minimize errors, including intensive training for field investigators and leveraging technologies such as Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). Investigators undergo a three-week training program to ensure they fully comprehend the survey questions and can record responses accurately.
Due to the intricacies involved in district-level data collection, there is a heightened risk of errors like misreporting or skipped questions. For example, if a field investigator records a woman’s age inaccurately to avoid asking further questions, it may result in flawed data.
Conducting large-scale surveys such as the NFHS at the district level can be resource-intensive. Therefore, simpler alternatives might be considered, like utilizing existing data to monitor health programs or projecting literacy rates as indicators of healthcare needs. For example, using Census literacy rates could offer a more cost-effective approach while still yielding valuable insights.
Kutos : AI Assistant!
