Literal question
Ask of women aged between 12 and 50 years (born between 1951 and 1989)
P-20. Total births
If none write [0] [0] and go to P-21. Include ALL her children, i.e. those who are still living, whether or not they live in this household, and those who are dead. Do not count stillbirths (children born dead).
[Example given of total children: 03 for total, 02 for boys and 01 for girls.]
_ _ How many [total] children, if any, has (the person) ever had, that were born alive?
_ _ How many of these were boys?
_ _ How many of these were girls?
Interviewer instructions
Question P-20 -- Total births
"How many children, if any, has (the person) ever had that were born alive?"
Start by asking for the total number of children born alive. Include all her children, i.e. those who are still living, whether or not they live in this household, and those who are dead. (The next question will record how many are still alive.) However do not count still births or adopted babies.
If the respondent says that she has 1 child, but that child is 'late' (passed away) you write 01 in the box for "Total" and ask:
"Was it a boy or a girl?" Then write 01 in the relevant box.
[P. 54]
If she has more than 1 child ask:
"How many of these were boys?" and write the answer in the box, e.g. 02.
"How many of these were girls?" and write the answer in the box, e.g. 01.
Then you confirm the total, e.g. in this case: 03 children who were born alive.
If there is a discrepancy, e.g. total number is 4 but the woman says 2 girls and 1 boy, probe. Ask if the total includes children who have died or are living somewhere else.
If the woman has had no children, enter 00 in the boxes for total, boys and girls and ask no more questions of this woman. Skip P-21a and P-21b and go to the household questions.
National Bureau: Note that you must write 00 in all the boxes for women who qualify for this question and have had no children, not just the total boxes. (But do not write 00 in these boxes for men or young girls or older women. For these people we do not fill in this question at all.)
