1. MEASURING CHILDRENS DISABILITY VIA HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS: THE MICS EXPERIENCE Edilberto Loaiza and Claudia Cappa UNICEF, New York

2. OBJECTIVES Present and discuss the data collection experience on disability via the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) approach Present and discuss the main results in terms of: –Prevalence of disability by type –Characteristics of disabled children Present and discuss results on the relationship between disability and child development

3. DATA AND METHODS Data use is part of the MICS2: 1999-2001 This round included a module for child disability For children 2-9 years of age The module was included in 22 of the 65 MICS2 The module measures impairments, health conditions and activity limitations via ten basic questions.

4. What is MICS? Methodology developed by UNICEF to produce data needed to report on agreed indicators to measure progress toward the World Summit for Children goals agreed by governments in 1990 Lately MICS is instrumental to monitor the MDGs, WFfC, and other major international commitments Capable of producing internationally comparable estimates of indicators Statistically sound Flexible to suit country requirements (modules) Core questionnaires + additional situation-specific modules, and optional modules Reasonably inexpensive Can be executed in a relatively short time Collaboration with DHS survey programme

5. THE DISABILITY MODULE Two stage questionnaire –The ten questions module –Medical and psychological assessment (this stage was not implemented) Included in 22 countries –8 countries used modified questions –Only 7 used the whole set of 10 questions to children 2-9 years old.

6. THE TEN QUESTIONS Movement Vision Hearing Understanding Movement Crisis/Fits Learning Speaking Mental Speech (for 3-9 years old) Naming one object (for 2 years old)

7. DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS The screening result is positive if one or more of the responses classified the child as impaired The last two questions were excluded from the analysis due to problems in their implementation and illogical results Disability prevalence ranges from 44% in Sao Tome and Principe to 4% on North Iraq. All plausible results Not for comparison across countries

8. Type of disability: 4 of the 9 disabilities 10% or more for a total of 44% of the children

9. Disability by age of the child: no clear pattern but among 2 years old greater impairment if total is greater than 20%

10. Disability by gender of the child: boys appear to have greater levels of impairment than girls

11. Disability by place of residence: Urban/Rural

12. Disability by place of residence: Region

14. Disability by mothers education: more than one pattern. Further analysis required

15. Disability by household wealth: using the wealth index, different patterns are also observed

16. Disability and child development: birth registration among children 2-4

17. Disability and child development: vaccination and malnutrition levels among children 2-4 years of age

18. Disability and child development: participation in early education programs by 3-4 years old

19. Disability and child development: school attendance among children 6-9 years of age

20. Disability and child development in Iraq: school attendance among children 6-9 years of age

21. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Wide variation in total disability prevalence and in the prevalence by type of disability analysis of the differences between countries not possible Disability rates constant across ages, but the type of disability changes with age Higher levels of disability for boys but risk of sampling errors Important disparities by region

22. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS No conclusive results on the relationship between mothers education/household wealth and the presence of disability Children with disability disadvantaged in terms of access to vaccinations and nutritional status, but not in school participation Need for further and more detailed analysis and research