Summary Working Paper 5

Young Lives Working Paper 5

Linking Public Issues with Private Troubles: Panel Studies in Developing Countries
Trudy Harpham, Sharon Huttly, Ian Wilson, Thea de Wet
2002

In the developed world the importance of evidence-based policy is increasingly recognised. Panel studies – a long-term study design where a cross-sectional sample of units is selected and surveyed at regular intervals – are being used to gather information about the same people or communities over a number of years. Panel studies distinguish between transitory and persistent states and help explain relationships between variables, such as health, age, and education. They are, however, complex and costly to undertake.

A growing number of developing countries are now implementing or considering starting panel studies. This paper identifies challenges that arise in panel studies and shows possible ways to address them when resources are scarce. It discusses how to develop a conceptual framework which links macro and micro contexts; cost-effective methods of sampling; how to track individuals and the importance of ethics and data management and analysis. Panel studies require long-term funding and a stable institutional environment. Policy-makers must realise that in its early stages a panel study will not yield results. Insights are derived only after the study has been going for several years.

Keywords: evidence-based policy, survey methodology, macro level, micro level, sampling, tracking individuals, ethics, panel study

Reducing Attrition in Panel Studies in Developing Countries
Zelee Hill
2002

In panel studies, respondents are lost when they die, decide to drop out of the study, or when they cannot be traced during later rounds of data collection. Much has been written about attrition, the loss of individuals over time, in developed countries, but literature from developing countries is scarce. The experiences from developed countries may not be relevant for developing countries as the main reasons for attrition differ. While attrition in developed country contexts largely arises from refusals to participate, attrition in developing country contexts is mostly due to respondents moving.

Attrition can cause bias if it is selective, and efforts should be made to track respondents. Such efforts can be costly and difficult as populations in developing countries are often highly mobile, infrastructure is poor, structures frequently change, and formal population and address records rarely exist.

In this paper, the author reviews the experiences from panel studies in developing countries to consider the importance of attrition and of tracking respondents to reduce attrition, and makes recommendations for establishing systems to track respondents in developing countries. Tracking can reduce attrition by up to 45 per cent, and is feasible if procedures are locally appropriate, well planned, and involve the community; if data is collected locally as much as possible; if criteria are explicit; if tracking is conducted regularly; and if interviewers are well trained, supervised, and motivated.

Keywords: panel studies, attrition, tracking

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