Sampling

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.  Administrative units of the country are called oblast, there are 24 oblasts in the country plus AR Crimea and Kyiv. Each oblast is devided into rayons (which can be urban and rural) and cities. In addtion, each rayon or city, according to the 2001 census, was subdivided into instruction units.  In total Ukraine includes 38,091 instruction units. The sample frame for this survey was based on the list of instruction units developed from the 2001 population census.

The primary sampling unit (PSU), the cluster for the 2005 MICS, is defined on the basis of the instruction units from the census frame.  

The three-stage sampling was implemented. At the first stage of the selection process 100 primary selection units (cities or rural rayons) were selected with a probability proportional to the country population. At the second stage of selection secondary selection units (National Census 2001 instruction units) were selected; one in each selected city or rural rayon. The selection at the second was implemented proportionally to the population of the instruction units. At the third stage two lists of households were compiled in every instruction unit (secondary selection units). The first list included households with children under 5 and the second contained all the rest of households. 28 households with children aged 0-4 and 28 other households were systematically selected in each of the two lists in every secondary selection unit.

The sample is stratified by region and is not self-weighted. Sample weights were used when preparing the reports at the national level. 

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.

No replacement of households was permitted in case of non-response or non-contactable households.  Adjustments were made to the sampling weights to correct for non-response, according to MICS standard procedures.

The sampling procedures are more fully described in the sampling design document and will be provided at the sampling appendix of the final report, once it is finished.

No major deviations from the original sample design were made.  All sample enumeration areas were accessed and successfully interviewed with good response rates.

Of the 5600 households selected for the sample, 5,595 were found to be occupied. Of these, 5,243 were successfully interviewed for a household response rate of 93,7 percent. In the interviewed households, 6,174 women (age 15-49) were identified. Of these, 6,164 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99,8 percent. In addition, 3,049 children under age five were listed in the household questionnaire. Questionnaires were completed for all 3,049 children, which corresponds to a response rate of 100 percent. Overall response rates of 93.6 and 93.7 are calculated for the women's and under-5's interviews respectively.

The response rates for households, women and children under 5 differ depending on the household location - in urban or rural areas. In urban areas the household response rate was at 91.2 percent, response rate for women was 91.0 percent and for children under 5 it stood as 91.2 percent. The response rates in rural areas were considerably higher: 98.2 for households, 98.1 for women, and 98.2 for children. This situation is generally characteristic for Ukraine.

Sample weights were calculated for each of the datafiles.  

Sample weights for the household data were computed as the inverse of the probability of selection of the household, computed at the sampling domain level (household with children under 5 or without children under five in each cluster). The household weights were adjusted for non-response at the domain level, and were then normalized by a constant factor so that the total weighted number of households equals the total unweighted number of households.  The household weight variable is called HHWEIGHT and is used with the HH data and the HL data.

Sample weights for the women's data used the un-normalized household weights, adjusted for non-response for the women's questionnaire, and were then normalized by a constant factor so that the total weighted number of women's cases equals the total unweighted number of women's cases.

Sample weights for the children's data followed the same approach as the women's and used the un-normalized household weights, adjusted for non-response for the children's questionnaire, and were then normalized by a constant factor so that the total weighted number of children's cases equals the total unweighted number of children's cases.