The Quiet Influence of Stratum-Level Survey Weights on Perceptions of Childhood Vaccination Coverage

Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center 

Prior research on childhood vaccination coverage surveys in Nigeria has shown that survey-to-survey changes in national outcome estimates can be notably amplified by changes in relative sums of stratum-level survey weights. To learn whether this is common or rare we analyzed sequences of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) from 29 African countries over three decades. We compared reported changes in national coverage estimates with counterfactual changes computed using fixed subnational weights. The contribution of weights was usually quite small; it was most pronounced in Nigeria, where it was evident in sequences of DHS and MICS surveys. This presentation describes the analytic approach, multi-country results, and recommendations for what to report to stakeholders about this issue.

survey analysis

childhood vaccination coverage

DHS and MICS surveys

DPT3 and Meseales surveys

post-stratification

influence of survey weights 

Survey Research Methods Section