Codes and Frequencies
Description
HCPRIVHL indicates whether, in response to an open-ended question, the woman reported she has sought help from a traditional healer.
Some samples in the "HC" series include categories that can be consolidated into a single response. IPUMS DHS uses supplemental programming to combine these responses in a standard variable while preserving the separate responses in country-specific variables.
For example, a given sample might include multiple categories for different types of traditional practitioners/healers that could be combined to create a more comprehensive response category. See Comparability for more information on the specific categories combined in HCPRIVHL.
Comparability — Index
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GENERAL |
Rwanda |
South Africa |
Comparability
In addition to universe differences, HCPRIVHL varies slightly in question wording. Most commonly, this response category is organized under an "Other source" header and is worded as "traditional healer." However, some countries diverge from this standard convention, and, in some cases, multiple categories were consolidated to form a single, more comprehensive response. Countries of particular interest are noted below.
Comparability - Standard DHS
HCPRIVHL is a country-specific variable, and it is not included in any phase of the standard DHS questionnaire.
Comparability — Rwanda [top]
The 2014 Rwanda survey asks where the woman has ever sought help for her current symptoms.
Comparability — South Africa [top]
The 2016 South Africa survey asks where the woman received health, medical, or dental care in the last month.
For the 2016 South Africa survey, under the "Other sources" header, there are three separate categories for traditional practitioners: "traditional healer," "traditional herbalist," and "faith healer." Because this variable focuses on all traditional practitioners, these three responses are consolidated in HCPRIVHL to create a more comprehensive response category. For researchers interested in preserving these country-specific categories:
Universe
- Rwanda 2014: Women age 15-49 who have sought help or care for symptoms.
- South Africa 2016: Women age 15-49 who received health, medical, or dental care in the last month, in households selected for the adult health questionnaire.
