IDPs (ACF) - PFEDA / Page d'accueil PFEDA

Data Collection
The forms used to collect the information are included as Annex 7.
Age: was recorded with the help of a local calendar of events (see Annex 8). Only
children between the ages of 6-59 months were included in the survey. If the age could
not be ascertained only the children between 65 and 110 cm were included in the survey.
Weight: Children were weighed without clothes using a 25 kg Salter scale (precision of
100g).
Height: Each child was measured using a height board (precision of 0.1 cm). Children
less than 85 cm in height had to be measured lying down. Children equal to or more than
85 cm were measured standing up.
Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC): This was measured to the nearest 0.1cm. The
MUAC was measured at the mid point of the left upper arm.
Oedema: Only children with bilateral oedema on the lower limbs were recorded as
having nutritional oedema.
Mortality: This was taken retrospectively. Each family was asked the composition of
their family in two parts – those family members less than 5 years, and those family
members more than 5 years. The family was then asked how many people had died in the
last three months – for both the under 5 years of age, and those over 5 years. The 3-month
period was easy to define because ‘Atha’ (an important religious event) had finished
almost exactly 3 months ago on the 16 th March 2000.
If the family was without a child of less than 5 years, even though no anthropometric
information could be obtained, the family was still asked if they had had a child who had
died during the last 3 months and this information was collected.
The overall mortality was calculated by taking the total number of dead and multiplying
this figure by 10,000. This figure was then divided by the total population 3 months
previously. Finally it was divided again by 98. Ninety-eight represented the average
number of days from ‘Atha’ to the survey. As the survey took place over a relatively
long period of time (9 days - due to the security constraints), the number of days between
‘Atha’ and the 5 th day of the survey was calculated (98).
If a family said that their child had died, the team asked the family to explain what the
signs and symptoms were of the child’s illness before he/she died. The team then
compared this information with the simple case definitions below.
Diarrhoea: More than 3 liquid stools per day.
Measles: Spots, Fever, Mouth Infection, Chest Infection, Eye Infection (more than 3
signs considered enough to identify the cause as Measles).
12