The Reliability of Reporting of Contraceptive Behavior in DHS Calendar Data: Evidence from Morocco

• Published in: Studies in family planning Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 44 - 53
• Main Authors: Strickler, Jennifer A., Magnani, Robert J., McCann, H. Gilman, Brown, Lisanne F., Rice, Janet C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Population Council 01-03-1997; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Bias; Birth Control; Censorship; Contraception; Contraception Behavior; Contraceptives; Demographic surveys; Demographics; Demography; Family planning; Female; Females; Gender equality; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health surveys; Humans; Intrauterine devices; Morocco; Population; Pregnancy; Proportions; Reliability; Reproducibility of Results; Research Responses; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires - standards; Time Factors; Use; Women; Morocco; Comparative Studies; Measurement; Northern Africa; Arab Countries; Demographic Surveys; Contraceptive Usage; Africa; Contraception; French Speaking Africa; Mediterranean Countries; Family Planning; Research Methodology; Demographic And Health Surveys; Studies; Morocco; Contraception Termination; Population; Research Report; Developing Countries; Reliability; Demographic Factors; Population Dynamics
• ISSN: 0039-3665; 1728-4465
• DOI: 10.2307/2137970

This report addresses the consistency of reporting in the contraceptive calendar in the 1992 and 1995 Morocco Demographic and Health Surveys. Because a panel design was used in these surveys, the same women were interviewed in both years, providing a unique opportunity to examine the reliability of responses. Measures of reliability for various aspects of contraceptive-use dynamics are computed, and the impact of reporting errors on contraceptive failure, discontinuation, and switching rates is estimated. Results suggest that reporting of contraceptive behavior in Moroccan DHS calendar data appears to be relatively reliable at the aggregate level. Individual respondents, particularly those whose contraceptive patterns have been complex, have a lower level of reliability. The observed inconsistencies do not appear to affect aggregate-level estimates of contraceptive prevalence; however, measures of contraceptive-use dynamics are less stable. (STUDIES IN FAMILY PLANNING 1997; 28, 1: 44-53)