Multiple Indicator Cluster SurveysMICS3Regional Training Workshop

Household Characteristics

Content

• Cultural features (HC1A-HC1C)

• Crowding (HC2)

• Dwelling material (HC3, HC4, HC5)

• Fuel used for cooking (HC6)

• Cooking arrangements (HC7, HC7A, HC8)

• Assets (HC9, HC10)

Purpose

• To disaggregate indicators by socioeconomic status

• MDG indicator on solid fuels: Proportion of population using solid fuels (wood, charcoal, crop residues, dung) for cooking (Goal 7, Indicator 29)

• Cooking arrangements and fuels used for cooking – to assess programs aiming to prevent respiratory illnesses

• Also, a major source of some lung diseases, e.g. COLD

Purpose

• Assets owned by household, dwelling material, crowding can be used to construct the wealth index and other indices of wealth/socioeconomic status

• Some variables also used to determine whether household is a slum

Methodological Issues

• Countries will have to customize most of the questions/response categories

• HC1A-HC1C asked of the head, to standardize information collected

• HC3-HC5 will be normally completed by interviewer

• The assets constitute a minimum set for constructing the “wealth index”

Wealth index

• Information on possession of household assets, dwelling materials, water and sanitation, crowding are used in principal components analysis and households are categorized into quintiles of wealth

• Popular indicator used by DHS, WB etc to analyze disparities with regard to wealth/poverty

Wealth index

• Not flawless but few alternatives, most inappropriate to MICS and similar household surveys