Survey ID Number
SRB_2005_MICS_v01_M
Title
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2005, Monitoring the situation of children and women
Sampling Procedure
The principal objective of the sample design was to provide current and reliable estimates on a set of indicators covering the four major areas of the World Fit for Children declaration, including promoting healthy lives; providing quality education; protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS. The population covered by the 2005 MICS is defined as the universe of all women aged 15-49 and all children aged under 5. A sample of households was selected and all women aged 15-49 identified as usual residents of these households were interviewed. In addition, the mother or the caretaker of all children aged under 5 who were usual residents of the household were also interviewed about the child.
The 2005 MICS collected data from a nationally representative sample of households, women and children. The primary focus of the 2005 MICS was to prodvide estimates of key population and health, education, child protection and HIV related indicators for the country as a whole, and for urban and rural areas separately. In additon, the sample was designed to provide estimates for each of the 6 regions (Vojvodina, Belgrade, West, Central, East and South-East Serbia) for key indicators. Separate sample was designed for Roma living in Roma settlements.
Important factors which influenced the sample design of both Serb and Roma samples are the fertility rate and number of household members.
A stratified, two-stage random sampling approach was used for the selection of the survey sample.
In the case of the Serbia without the Roma settlements sample, 400 census enumeration areas within each region with probability proportional to size were selected during the first stage. Since the sample frame (Census 2002) was not up to date, household lists in all selected enumeration areas were updated prior to the selection of households. Owing to the low fertility rate and small household size, households were stratified into two categories. One category of households consists of households with under 5 children, while the other category consists of households without children under 5. The allocation of the sample in the category of households with children was significantly greater than the allocation of the sample in the category of households without children. Based on the updated information, selected units were divided into clusters of 18 households on average, plus 3 backup households. Backup households were interviewed only if some of the first 18 households were not found. In the event that a household refused to be interviewed, a backup household was not contacted. In each cluster, the number of households with children was selected with probability proportional to size.
In the case of the Roma population, the universe could be defined only for Roma who live in separate settlements. During the first stage, 106 census enumeration areas were selected. The updating of household lists was done prior to household selection, but there was no need for sample stratification of households with and without children under 5. The average number of households selected in each cluster was 18 on average, plus 3 backup households.
Secondly, after the household listing was carried out within the selected enumeration areas, a systematic sample of 7,794 households in Serbia without Roma from Roma settlements and 1,959 Roma households was drawn up, which makes a total of 9,953 sampled households.
The 2002 Serbian Population Census framework was used for the selection of clusters. Census enumeration areas (app. 100 households) were defined as primary sampling units (PSUs), and were selected from each of the sampling domains by using systematic pps (probability proportional to size) sampling procedures, based on the estimated sizes of the enumeration areas from the 2002 Population Census. The first stage of sampling was thus completed by selecting the required number of enumeration areas from each of the 6 regions by urban and rural areas separately.
Following standard MICS data collection rules, if a household was actually more than one household when visited, then a) if the selected household contained two households, both were interviewed, or b) if the selected household contained 3 or more households, then only the household of the person named as the head was interviewd.
The Serbia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey sample is not self-weighted. For reporting of national level results, sample weights were used, according to MICS standard procedures.
The sampling procedures are more fully described in the sampling design document and the sampling appendix of the final report.