Interviewer instructions
Determine the age of each household member by asking the respondent, "What is ______'s age as of his/her last birthday?" Enter the age in the boxes provided.
Here are some basic guidelines for your reference:
If during your visit, a member of the household has just celebrated his/her last birthday on or after May 1, 2010, then you have to report his/her age as of his/her previous birthday. For example, a person born on May 2, 1986 has just celebrated his/her 24th birthday, the age to be reported for this person should be "023", and NOT "024".
Three boxes are allotted for the age of household members. Enter the age of every person one year old and over in completed years. Prefix zeroes (0's) for ages 1 to 99 years, for example: "002", "010", and others. For persons 100 years old and over, record the actual age, that is, "100", "101", and so on. However, for persons less than one year old, enter "000". Do not record ages such as 7½, 5 years and two months, and others. Instead, record "007" and "005", respectively.
Check for inconsistencies in the ages of mother and her children. The respondent may have given incorrect information for one reason or another. Probe and verify further, as needed: for example when the age difference between the mother and her eldest child is less than 15 years.
If the exact age is not known, ask for an estimate. It may also help to estimate the ages of siblings with reference to one of them whose age is known. In some cases, you may ask the respondent to recall some well-known local, national, or world event in the past by which the age may be associated with, or if the member is older or younger than some prominent persons. If all possible means have already been exhausted and the respondent is still unable to give the correct information, record his/her best estimate.
There must be a report for age in Column P5 for every household member. Check for the consistency of age and date of birth using Table 1 (Age as of Last Birthday Conversion) found at the inside back cover of this manual. Resolve any inconsistency while you are still in the household.