SURVEY DESIGN & OBJECTIVES

The survey was designed to provide policy relevant data on living conditions in Guatemala for use by the government in designing a poverty alleviation strategy. A module on time use was included to explore more fully issues of labor behavior, how households make decisions on regarding tradeoffs, and how government policies can be developed regarding development of employment programs, infrastructure needs, etc.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

Interviews with all household members age 7 and older

SURVEY INSTRUMENTS
Description

The Nicaragua household questionnaire is a multi-topic questionnaire which included modules on housing, social capital, languages spoken, health, education, migration, economic activity, fertility, time use, household enterprises, household expenditures, agricultural activities, and credit/savings. The time use module includes 22 specific activities, a question on "other" activities, and requires that the total time sum to 24 hours. In addition, in several of the other modules there is information collected on how long it takes to travel to services (school, health facilities) and how long people had to wait for services.

Recording of simultaneous activities

Yes

Context variables

The module itself does not include questions about the context in which the time is spent, however, information from the other modules could be used with some of the activities to provide contextual information.

ACTIVITY CLASSIFICATION

Information was collected on: employment activities (paid work, unpaid work, make clothes for family members, take care of animals, repairs to house, commuting time); education (class time); house work (cleaning, cooking, washing, take out trash, collect water, collect fuel, take care of children, purchases); pay for services; other (personal care, leisure, community service, eating, sleeping); and other. In addition, respondents were asked which activities were done at the same time.

TIME SAMPLE

Information was collected about the day prior to the interview.

REFERENCE POPULATION
Description

The sample for the survey is nationally representative and is representative at the urban/rural level. The sample is also representative of the 5 main ethnic groups in the country.

Sample selection

The time use module was administered in 1/4 of the interviewed households to all household members age 7 and older.

SOURCES

Informal reports.