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Cameroon, 1978 (WFS)

The following description of this survey appeared in the 1991 edition of Dynamic Database: A Catalogue of Survey Data Files, Voorburg: International Statistical Institute.

Basic Information

• Name of survey: Enquête National sur la Fécondité du Cameroun
• Executive agency: Ministre de l'Economie et du Plan
• Date of fieldwork: 1978
• Universe: All women, 15-54
• Coverage: National, 100%
• Size: 8219
• Weights: Weighted to allow for unequal sampling within domains and for non-response
• Contents: WFS Core Mark 1 + FOTCAF module
• Supplementary surveys: Household members (n = 182,065, weighted); Community (n = 67 urban, 200 rural)

Additional Information

An expanded survey of households collected information on fertility and on deaths in the preceding 12 months. Supplementary data on the structure of the house and the services available (lighting, water and toilet) were also recorded. A detailed set of derived variables on household composition have been added to the file.

The fieldwork for the individual survey was carried out at the same time as the household survey, on a subsample of women. The individual questionnaire was available in 14 linguistic versions. Such is the linguistic complexity of the country that the main survey was preceded by a special inquiry (see reference 3 below).

The individual questionnaire deviates from the WFS core in its handling of fertility preferences. Additional topics covered in the survey include: a migration history; monogamous/polygynous status of the current marriage and rank of the wife; delivery details for the last two live births; exceptionally detailed questions on respondent's age/date of birth.

The community survey collected slightly different information for rural and urban clusters. Included in both domains was information on: access to health and other facilities; indicators of development and sanitation such as electricity, water supply, and sewage and garbage disposal.

Release Conditions

Data may be used for academic research, provided that credit is given in any publication resulting from the research to the agency that conducted the survey and that two copies of any publication are sent to:

Monsieur Thomas Komguep Direction de la Statistique et de la Comptabilité National Ministère du Plan et de l'Aménagement du Territoire B.P. 660 Yaounde République Unie du Cameroun

Public Use Files

Available files include the household data and dictionary, and the individual standard recode data and dictionary, in the original WFS format. In addition, the individual standard recode data and dictionary dictionary are available in DHS/ISSA format. The table below lists the file names and descriptions.

Key References

1. Ministre de l'Economie et du Plan, Enquête National sur la Fécondité de Cameroun 1978: Rapport Principal, Yaoundé, 1983.

2. Santow, G. and A. Bioumla, An Evaluation of the Cameroon Fertility Survey 1978, WFS Scientific Reports no 64, 1984.

3. Ware, H., Language Problems in Demographic Field Work in Africa: the Case of the Cameroon Fertility Survey, WFS Scientific Reports no 2, 1977.