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The quality of demographic data on older Africans

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  • Randall, Sara
  • Coast, Ernestina

Abstract

BACKGROUND Developing appropriate and equitable policies for older people in Africa requires accurate and reliable data. It is unclear whether existing data can accurately assess older African population structures, let alone provide the detailed information needed to inform policy decision making. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of nationally representative data on older Africans through examining the accuracy of age data collected from different sources. METHODS To measure the accuracy of age reporting overall we calculate Whipple’s Index, and a modified Whipple’s Index for older adults, using the single year age-sex distributions from (a) the household roster of 17 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) (b) the censuses of 12 of these countries and (c) the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) for Ethiopia and Niger. We compare reported sex ratios by age. RESULTS The quality of age data is very poor for most countries outside Southern Africa, especially for older adults. In some Sahelian countries DHS surveys appear to omit a considerable proportion of older women. Data on population structure of older people by age and sex produced by the DHS and the census are inconsistent and contradictory. CONCLUSIONS Different field methodological approaches generate contradictory data on older Africans. With the exception of Southern Africa, it is impossible to assess accurately the basic demographic structure of the older population. The data available are so problematic that any conclusions about age-related health and welfare and their evolution over time and space are potentially compromised. This has ramifications for policy makers and practitioners who demand, fund and depend on large scale demographic data sources.

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  • Randall, Sara & Coast, Ernestina, 2016. "The quality of demographic data on older Africans," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64834, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:64834
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    1. Nana Araba Apt, 2002. "Ageing and the changing role of the family and the community: An African perspective," International Social Security Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(1), pages 39-47.
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    6. Isabella Aboderin, 2004. "Decline in Material Family Support for Older People in Urban Ghana, Africa: Understanding Processes and Causes of Change," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 59(3), pages 128-137.
    7. Sara Randall & Ernestina Coast & Philippe Antoine & Natacha Compaore & Fatou-Binetou Dial & Alexandra Fanghanel & Sadio Ba Gning & Bilampoa Gnoumou Thiombiano & Valérie Golaz & Stephen Ojiambo Wander, 2015. "UN Census “Households†and Local Interpretations in Africa Since Independence," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(2), pages 21582440155, June.
    8. Randall, Sara & Coast, Ernestina & Compaore, Natacha & Antoine, Philippe, 2013. "The power of the interviewer: a qualitative perspective on African survey data collection," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 48277, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Barrientos, Armando & Gorman, Mark & Heslop, Amanda, 2003. "Old Age Poverty in Developing Countries: Contributions and Dependence in Later Life," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 555-570, March.
    10. Sara Randall & Ernestina Coast & Natacha Compaore & Philippe Antoine, 2013. "The power of the interviewer," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(27), pages 763-792.
    11. John Knodel & Mary Beth Ofstedal, 2003. "Gender and Aging in the Developing World: Where Are the Men?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 29(4), pages 677-698, December.
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    2. Carr-Hill, Roy, 2017. "Improving Population and Poverty Estimates with Citizen Surveys: Evidence from East Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 249-259.
    3. Stephane Helleringer & Chong You & Laurence Fleury & Laetitia Douillot & Insa Diouf & Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye & Valerie Delaunay & Rene Vidal, 2019. "Improving age measurement in low- and middle-income countries through computer vision: A test in Senegal," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(9), pages 219-260.
    4. Soumaïla Ouedraogo, 2020. "Estimation of older adult mortality from imperfect data: A comparative review of methods using Burkina Faso censuses," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(38), pages 1119-1154.
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    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General

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