Codes and Frequencies
Description
SALTEST1 (HV234) reports the iodine level in the household's cooking salt, using grouped values. The levels are grouped based on PPM (parts per million).
Universal salt iodization is recommended (by the World Health Organization and UNICEF) to prevent and correct iodine deficiency disorders (including goiter, hypothyroidism, deaf-mutism, mental retardation, dwarfism, stillbirth, and congenital abnormalities). However, unnecessarily high levels of iodine in salt may lead to occasional cases of hyperthyroidism.
The information in SALTEST1 is taken from the household record and applies to regular household residents, not temporary visitors. Researchers may wish to exclude visitors using the RESIDENT variable when women, children, or births are the unit of analysis, and using the HHRESIDENT variable when household members are the unit of analysis.
The related variables SALTEST2 and SALTEST3 (HV234A) also report iodine levels in cooking salt, but with different groupings.
Comparability — Index
|
GENERAL |
Egypt |
Comparability
SALTEST1 (HV234) has slight differences in the question response categories.
Comparability - Standard DHS
SALTEST1 (HV234) is included in the standard DHS household questionnaire for Phases 4 and 5, but the response categories varied slightly between the phases. Phase 4 allowed response categories of 0 PPM (No iodine), 7 PPM, 15 PPM, and 30PPM. Phase 5 allowed response categories of 0 PPM (No iodine), below 15 PPM, and 15 PPM and above.
To maximize comparability across these different groupings, all response categories falling under the broad heading of "more than 0, less than 15 PPM" share a first digit of 7, while the last digit distinguishes between "7 PPM" (code 70) and "Less than 15 PPM" (code 71). All responses fitting the broad category of "15 PPM or more" share leading digits of 15, while the last digit distinguishes between "15 PPM or more" (code 150) and "30 PPM" (code 151). By grouping categories and ignoring the last digit, all responses can thus be fit into the simpler Phase 5 response categories.
Comparability — Egypt [top]
The 2008 Egypt survey includes "15 PPM or less" and "More than 15 PPM," rather than the more standard "Below 15 PPM" and "15 PPM and above."
Universe
- Benin 2001: All women age 15-49.
- Benin 2006: All women age 15-49.
- Burkina Faso 2003: All women age 15-49.
- Cameroon 2004: All women age 15-49.
- Cameroon 2011: All women age 15-49.
- Chad 2004: All women age 15-49.
- Congo (Democratic Republic) 2007: All women age 15-49.
- Congo Brazzaville 2005: All women age 15-49.
- Egypt 2005: Ever-married women age 15-49.
- Egypt 2008: Ever-married women age 15-49.
- Eswatini (Swaziland) 2006: All women age 15-49.
- Ethiopia 2005: All women age 15-49.
- Ghana 2003: All women age 15-49.
- Ghana 2014: All women age 15-49.
- India 1998: Ever-married women age 15-49.
- India 2005: All women age 15-49.
- Kenya 2008: All women age 15-49.
- Lesotho 2004: All women age 15-49.
- Lesotho 2009: All women age 15-49.
- Madagascar 2003: All women age 15-49.
- Madagascar 2008: All women age 15-49.
- Malawi 2000: All women age 15-49.
- Malawi 2010: All women age 15-49.
- Mali 2006: All women age 15-49.
- Namibia 2000: All women age 15-49.
- Nepal 1996: Ever-married women age 15-49.
- Nepal 2011: All women age 15-49.
- Niger 2006: All women age 15-49.
- Niger 2012: All women age 15-49.
- Nigeria 2003: All women age 15-49.
- Nigeria 2008: All women age 15-49.
- Rwanda 2000: All women age 15-49.
- Rwanda 2005: All women age 15-49.
- Sao Tome 2008: All women age 15-49.
- Senegal 2005: All women age 15-49.
- Sierra Leone 2008: All women age 15-49.
- Tanzania 2004: All women age 15-49.
- Tanzania 2010: All women age 15-49.
- Uganda 2001: All women age 15-49.
- Uganda 2006: All women age 15-49.
- Zambia 2001: All women age 15-49.
