| Description |
The success of the first National Family Health Survey, conducted in 1992-93, in creating an important demographic and health database in India has paved the way for repeating the survey. The second National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2), undertaken in 1998-99, is designed to strengthen the database further and facilitate implementation and monitoring of population and health programmes in the country. As in the earlier survey, the principal objective of NFHS-2 is to provide state and national estimates of fertility, the practice of family planning, infant and child mortality, maternal and child health, and the utilization of health services provided to mothers and children. In addition, the survey provides indicators of the quality of health and family welfare services, women's reproductive health problems, and domestic violence, and includes information on the status of women, education, and the standard of living.
Another feature of NFHS-2 is measurement of the nutritional status of women. Height and weight measurements, which were available only for young children in the earlier survey, were extended to cover all eligible women in NFHS-2. In addition, ever-married women and their children below age three had their blood tested for the level of haemoglobin, using the HemoCue instrument. Through these blood tests, for the first time the survey provides information on the prevalence of anaemia throughout India. In two metropolitan cities, Delhi and Mumbai, a further test was done for children below age three to measure the lead content in their blood. The survey also measured the extent to which households in India use cooking salt that has been fortified with iodine.
The NFHS-2 survey was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through ORC Macro, USA. UNICEF provided additional financial support for the nutritional components of the survey. The survey is the outcome of the collaborative efforts of many organizations. The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) was designated as the nodal agency for this project by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi. Thirteen reputed field organizations (FOs) in India, including five Population Research Centres, were selected to carry out the houselisting operation and data collection for NFHS-2. ORC Macro, Calverton, Maryland, USA, and the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, provided technical assistance for all survey operations.
The NFHS-2 survey covered a representative sample of more than 90,000 eligible women age 15-49 from 26 states that comprise more than 99 percent of India's population. The data collection was carried out in two phases, starting in November 1998 and March 1999. The survey provides state-level estimates of demographic and health parameters as well as data on various socioeconomic and programmatic factors that are critical for bringing about desired changes in India's demographic and health situation. The survey provides urban and rural estimates for most states, regional estimates for four states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh), separate estimates for three metro cities (Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai), and estimates for slum areas in Mumbai.
The survey used uniform questionnaires, sample designs, and field procedures to facilitate comparability of the data and to achieve a high level of data quality. Preliminary reports with selected results were prepared earlier for each state and presented to policymakers and programme administrators responsible for improving health and family welfare programmes in the states. The report presents survey findings from all Indian states except Tripura, where the fieldwork was delayed due to a local problem.
The contents of this report are based on a standard tabulation plan developed at a workshop held in Kodaikanal during the period 15-17 January 1999. IIPS finalized the tabulation plan according to the recommendations of the NFHS-2 Technical Advisory Committee and produced the tables and figures for the final reports. This report has been written jointly by authors from IIPS, ORC Macro, and the East-West Center. |
