Children’s Living Arrangements and Orphanhood

Percent distribution of de jure children, children not living with a biological parent, and children with one or both parents dead

Definition

1)      Percent distribution of de jure children under age 18 by living arrangements.

2)      Percentage of de jure children under age 18 not living with a biological parent.

3)      Percentage of de jure children under age 18 with one or both parents dead.

Coverage:

Population base: De jure children under age 18 (PR file)

Time period: Current status at time of survey

Numerators:

1)      Number of children under age 18 by living arrangement and survival status of parents:

a)       Living with both parents (with_mother & with_father)

b)      Living with mother (with_mother), but not with father:

·         father alive (father_alive & not with_father)

·         father dead (not father_alive)

c)       Living with father (with_father), but not with mother:

·         mother alive (mother_alive & not with_mother)

·         mother dead (not mother_alive)

d)      Not living with either parent (not with_mother & not with_father):

·         both alive (mother_alive & father_alive)

·         only mother alive (mother_alive & not father_alive)

·         only father alive (not mother_alive & father_alive)

·         both dead (not mother_alive & not father_alive)

2)      Number of children under age 18 not living with a biological parent (group d above)

3)      Number of children under age 18 with both parents dead (hv111 = 0 and hv113 = 0)

See Calculation below for construction of the working variables above.

Denominator: Number of de jure children under age 18 (hv102 = 1 and hv105 < 18)

Variables: PR file.

Calculation

To construct the working variables needed for these indicators, first merge hv102 for the mother from a copy of the PR file into the main PR file based on the mother’s line number (hv112) if the mother is listed in the household roster. Similarly merge hv102 for the father from a copy of the PR file into the main PR file based on the father’s line number (hv114) if the father is listed in the household roster. Then the following working variables needed in the calculation of the living arrangements indicators can be constructed:

·         mother_alive = ( hv111 = 1 )

·         with_mother = ( hv112 in 1:hv009 & hv102(mother) = 1 )

·         father_alive = ( hv113 = 1 )

·         with_father = ( hv114 in 1:hv009 & hv102(father) = 1 )

The indicators are calculated as numerator divided by denominator, multiplied by 100.

Handling of Missing Values

Children with missing information are included in a separate category in the percent distribution.

Notes and Considerations

Percent distribution adds up to 100 percent.

References

Mishra, V. and S. Bignami-Van Assche. 2008. Orphans and vulnerable children in high HIV-prevalence countries in sub-Saharan Africa. DHS Analytical Studies No. 15. Calverton, Maryland, USA: Macro International. https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-AS15-Analytical-Studies.cfm

Rutstein, S. O. 2008. Finding the missing maternal and paternal orphans. Calverton, Maryland, USA: Macro International. https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-od53-other-documents.cfm

Resources

DHS-8 Tabulation plan: Table 2.9

API Indicator IDs:

HC_LVAR_C_BTH, HC_LVAR_C_MFA, HC_LVAR_C_MFD, HC_LVAR_C_FMA, HC_LVAR_C_FMD, HC_LVAR_C_NBA, HC_LVAR_C_NMA, HC_LVAR_C_NFA, HC_LVAR_C_NBD, HC_LVAR_C_NMS, HC_LVAR_C_NBP, HC_LVAR_C_P1D

(API link, STATcompiler link)

MICS6 Indicator SR.18: Children’s living arrangements

MICS6 Indicator SR.19: Prevalence of children with one or both children dead