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United Nations collection of national United Nations collection of national disability statistics disability statistics

from population and housing censuses from population and housing censuses and related national surveys and and related national surveys and

administrative registersadministrative registers

Fifth Meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Fifth Meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, Statistics,

Rio de Janeiro, 21-23 September 2005Rio de Janeiro, 21-23 September 2005

Maria Martinho and Jeremiah BandaMaria Martinho and Jeremiah Banda

United Nations Statistics DivisionUnited Nations Statistics Division

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographichttp://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic

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Outline of the presentationOutline of the presentation

• The Demographic yearbook system The Demographic yearbook system (DYB)(DYB)

• Results of the DYB pre-testingResults of the DYB pre-testing

• Impact of different approaches on Impact of different approaches on the level of disability prevalencethe level of disability prevalence

• The design of the DYB questionnaireThe design of the DYB questionnaire

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The Demographic Yearbook System The Demographic Yearbook System (DYB)(DYB)

• Collects, compiles and disseminates official statistics on a wide range of topics

• Data have been collected from national statistical authorities since 1948

• A set of questionnaires is dispatched annually by the United Nations Statistics Division to over 230 national statistical offices

• Regular collection of human functioning and disability statistics starting by the end of 2005

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DYB collection of disability statistics DYB collection of disability statistics

• UNSD Pilot Questionnaire on Human Function and Disability Statistics

• Tested in 44 countries

• Data: • Population with and without disabilities • Population with and without disabilities by school

attendance • Population with and without disabilities by activity

status• All tables by age, sex and urban/rural residence

• Metadata:• Capture methodological factors that can influence

disability prevalence rates:• Question wording, coverage, mode of data collection,

etc

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Results of the DYB pre-testing Results of the DYB pre-testing

•Tested in 57 countries/areas

• Africa (21)

• Asia (21)

• South America (6)

• North America (8)

• Oceania (1)

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National data collection on disability National data collection on disability statistics statistics

Number of Number of countries/areascountries/areas

No collectionNo collection 44

CensusCensus 2020

SurveysSurveys 55

ARAR 33

Census & surveysCensus & surveys 1111

Census & ARCensus & AR 33

Surveys & ARSurveys & AR 33

Census, surveys & Census, surveys & ARsARs

88

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Results from the pre-testing: Censuses Results from the pre-testing: Censuses

• 41 countries/areas collect disability data in censuses

• Questions available for 31 countries:• Most census questions are either

• (i) generic questions or

• (ii) impairment based (28 countries/areas)

• Only three countries use neutral language and activity limitations

• 5 countries use one question for the household

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Results from the pre-testing: Censuses Results from the pre-testing: Censuses

• Bahamas, Fiji, Mauritius and Zimbabwe

1. Are you blind?

If Yes, do you have any difficulty with the following activities…?

If Yes, are you blind?

1. Do you have any difficulty with the following activities…?

• Uganda

Inverted Inverted funnel funnel

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Results from the pre-testing: Censuses Results from the pre-testing: Censuses

Other questions: • Type of disability: 29 countries

• Cause of disability: 7 countries

• Institutionalized population covered in 26 countries

• Face-to-face interview in 34 countries

• One respondent per household: 25 countries

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Results from the pre-testing: Surveys Results from the pre-testing: Surveys

• 27 countries/areas collect disability data in surveys

• Questionnaires tend to be longer

• Design of the sample can be complex

• Some countries are using weighting schemes for the questions

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Results from the pre-testing: Surveys Results from the pre-testing: Surveys

• Institutional population• Covered: 3 Not covered: 8 NA:

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• Mode of data collection• Face-to-face interview: 18 NA: 8

• Respondent • One respondent per household: 7

• Self-response: 8 NA: 8

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Impact of different approaches on the Impact of different approaches on the level of disability prevalencelevel of disability prevalence

• Countries included: 29 countriesCountries included: 29 countries• Participated in the pre-testing of the UNSD Participated in the pre-testing of the UNSD

Pilot questionnairePilot questionnaire• Provided information on censusProvided information on census• Extra information was gathered from Extra information was gathered from

DISTAT, country reports and manuals, DISTAT, country reports and manuals, NSOs websites and WG country reportsNSOs websites and WG country reports

• Preliminary study:Preliminary study:• Look at two census in the same countryLook at two census in the same country• Demographic, social and cultural Demographic, social and cultural

background is similarbackground is similar

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Dominican RepublicDominican Republic

4.2%

1.5%

0% 2% 4% 6%

1981Census

2000Census

Do you have any of the following disabilities?

- Blind, deaf, mute, physical dsabilities, does not have disabilities.

In 2001,+Blind of one eye,+Loss or

limitation in moving arms/legs

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ZambiaZambia

0.9%

2.6%

0% 1% 2% 3%

1990Census

2000Census

Is ....... blind? Deaf/dumb? Crippled? Mentally retarded?

Are you disabled in any way?

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Uganda, 1991 & 2001 censusesUganda, 1991 & 2001 censuses

0%

10%

20%

Age

MaleFemale

2001

19911991: Is anyone in

the household in the census night disabled?

2001: Do you have any difficulty in moving, seeing, hearing, speaking or learning, that has lasted or is expected to last 6 months or more?

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Preliminary conclusionsPreliminary conclusions

• Factors that may affect the Factors that may affect the level of disability prevalence:level of disability prevalence:• Number of domains included Number of domains included • Use of activity based questionsUse of activity based questions

• Use of generic questions Use of generic questions provides low level of provides low level of prevalenceprevalence

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Impact of different approaches on the Impact of different approaches on the level of disability prevalencelevel of disability prevalence

• Comparing countries worldwide:Comparing countries worldwide:• Need to account for different age-sex Need to account for different age-sex

distributions across countries: use world distributions across countries: use world standardized prevalence ratestandardized prevalence rate

• Census questions on disability were Census questions on disability were found to be of four main typesfound to be of four main types

• Other factors are also considered:Other factors are also considered:• Mode of data collection, respondent, coverage Mode of data collection, respondent, coverage

of institutions, use of neutral terminology, of institutions, use of neutral terminology, minimum time duration for disabilityminimum time duration for disability

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Type of questionType of question

0%

3%

6%

9%

12%

15%

18%

Niger

ia

Sri La

nka

Pales

tine

Mex

ico

Hunga

ry

Domin

Rep

Costa

Rica

Thaila

nd

Egypt

Iran

Parag

uay

Philip

pines

Panam

a

Tanza

nia

Moz

ambi

que

Mau

ritius

Zambi

a

Portu

gal

South

Afri

ca

Baham

as

Eston

ia

St Luc

ia

UK, Eng

land

& W

ales

Ugand

a

Irelan

d

Belize

Canad

aUS

Brazil

Impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions

Presence of long-term disease or disability

Presence of disability

List of impairments and basic activities

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Nigeria Iran Sri Lanka Palestine Mexico HungarY Dominican Republic Costa Rica

ICF Prevalence rate 0.6% 1.0% 1.4% 2.4% 2.5% 4.5% 5.2% 6.5%

Coding Number of items 5 3 7 7 10 11 10 7

b210 blind Y       Y Y Y Y

b210 blind in one eYe           Y Y  

b210 partial blindness               Y

b230 deaf Y Y     Y Y Y  

b230 partial deafness               Y

b310-399 dumb Y       Y Y Y  

  crippled Y              

s730-750 loss of limb           Y   Y

b7356 paralYsis               Y

b750-b799 loss of movement of legs             Y  

b750-b800 loss of movement of arms             Y  

  disabilities in hands/legs     Y          

  phYsicallY disabled   Y Y   Y Y Y  

  mentallY retarded Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

  psYchosis     Y          

  mental disabilitY       Y Y      

  mental disorder               Y

e1251 use of assistive device to hear         Y      

b1671 defective speech           Y    

b210 sight/seeing     Y Y   Y    

b230 hearing     Y Y   Y    

d330 speaking/talking     Y Y        

b750-b799 moving       Y Y Y    

d450 walking         Y      

b750-b799 moving legs             Y  

b710 moving fingers/arms       Y     Y  

d445 use hands/arms         Y      

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Number of items included in the Number of items included in the questionquestion

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

number of disability items listed

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Mode of data collection and Mode of data collection and respondentrespondent

0%

3%

6%

9%

Thaila

nd

Egypt

Iran

Parag

uay

Philip

pines

Panam

a

Tanza

nia

Moz

ambi

que

Mau

ritius

Zambi

a

Portu

gal

South

Afri

ca

Presence of disability

FH

FH

FH

FH

FH

FC

FH

FS

FH

FS

DH

FC

F - face to face interviewD - Drop and collectH - Head of householdS - Self-responseC - Combination

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ConclusionsConclusions

• Four main types of questions were Four main types of questions were identifiedidentified

• Question on activity limitation and Question on activity limitation and participation restriction lead to the higher participation restriction lead to the higher ratesrates

• Mode of data collection and respondent Mode of data collection and respondent seem to have an effect when generic seem to have an effect when generic questions are usedquestions are used

• No other factor was found to be influentialNo other factor was found to be influential

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Limitations of the studyLimitations of the study

• The conclusions are limited by what The conclusions are limited by what was provided by countries; e.g. few was provided by countries; e.g. few countries in our study used scaled countries in our study used scaled responsesresponses

• Other relevant factors are difficult Other relevant factors are difficult to measure:to measure:• How to account for training of the How to account for training of the

enumerators?enumerators?• How to account for translation?How to account for translation?

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Impact on the UNSD Pilot Impact on the UNSD Pilot questionnairequestionnaire

• How to capture the impact of How to capture the impact of measurement?measurement?

• Should UNSD account for survey and ARs Should UNSD account for survey and ARs measurement? measurement?

• If yes, how to reflect the design and If yes, how to reflect the design and evaluate the quality of the data?evaluate the quality of the data?

• Should the questionnaire request cause Should the questionnaire request cause of disability? of disability?

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THANKS!THANKS!

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