Overview
An important section of most HIV-related surveys includes questions concerning the sociodemographic
characteristics of the study population. These questions allow you to link the background of each individual to the outcome in
question. For example, the use of sociodemographic questions enables a researcher to take an outcome such as condom use, and
stratify or segregate the data by characteristics such as gender or age.
As with other types of questions, it is important
to keep comparability in mind when designing a survey. This is especially true if you are going to ask similar questions within
the same survey or study, or if you will want to compare your results to other studies. For example:
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Age questions can be asked in different ways: “How old are you?” and “What year were you born?” may be
asked in the same questionnaire, but the responses might not match, affecting the validity of the data.
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Education questions may ask “How many years of school have you completed?” and “Have you completed primary
school?” Again, the information yielded will possess different information and levels of accuracy—making some
comparisons invalid.
This topic had been divided into two sections: Individual characteristics and
Household characteristics. Typical sociodemographic indicators for
each section are as follows:
Individual characteristics
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Age: Age in months is preferable for recording ages for
young children (2–3 digit response). Other ages may
be elicited by asking the respondent their age in years or age at their last birthday (2 digit response).
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Area of residence: The size of the target group plays a large role in formulating questions.
National/regional surveys may begin with distinguishing between rural/urban residences, subsequently identifying
residential region/district/village (depending upon goals and target group). Many sample questions also elicit
time span of residential stay at that location to prevent error.
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Education: Questions investigating
the years spent in education (2 digit response) are useful, and there are several ways level of education can
be asked. Most often, questions will ask whether the respondent has completed “primary/elementary” and/or
“secondary/high school” levels.
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Literacy: It is controversial to correlate level of
education with literacy. A more accurate measure of the respondent’s literacy may be to have them
read a paragraph or pre-prepared card, then allow the interviewer to rate their reading skill.
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Religion: Careful research and pre-testing are important for determining which religion
categories appear on an instrument. The local importance and behavioral differences of certain religious
denominations vary greatly in different regions of the world.
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Ethnicity/Tribe: Again,
research and pre-testing in the area of study is important for determining the categories/answer options
of these questions.
Household characteristics
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People in the household:
Often household charts or specific forms are used to obtain information on the names, relations, and number
of family members living in household units. Individual questions can be worded to accommodate extended
and adopted family members.
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Water source: Questions about water sources and hygiene are
often used as a socioeconomic indicator or a potential causal factor of diarrhea. They also may be helpful
in HIV studies involving mother-to-child transmission, where they can help determine the vulnerability of
a population that is considering the use of breast milk substitutes.
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Household income: Several
questions may be used to help determine income or socioeconomic status. Potential questions include: land
ownership and/or land use, type of roofing or floor material in the house, types of water sources and/or
sanitation facilities, radio and/or television ownership, presence of household electricity, bicycle
ownership, and employment. These questions—in combination with negotiation and power questions—can
also help researchers investigating power and decision-making relationships in the household.
Examples of sociodemographic survey questions have been drawn from the following surveys:
- Individual characteristics
- MEASURE DHS+—AIDS Module
- UNAIDS/MEASURE Evaluation—HIV/AIDS Prevention
Indicator Survey
- FHI—Behavioral Surveillance Surveys
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Household characteristics
- MEASURE DHS+—AIDS Module
- Horizons—Transition to Adulthood in the
Context of HIV/AIDS
- UNAIDS/MEASURE Evaluation—HIV/AIDS Prevention Indicator
Survey
