Using Satellite Data to Delineate Slum and Non-slum Sample Domains for an Urban Population Survey in Uttar Pradesh, India

Slum Definitions in Urban India: Implications for the Measurement of Health Inequalities

“…First, the Census was conducted in 2001, but the NFHS was undertaken in 2005–2006, making it possible that slum areas changed significantly between Census enumeration and NFHS survey observation and respondent reports (Montana et al, forthcoming), an issue that has not been addressed in studies using these data (Swaminathan and Mukherji, 2012). A second reason for the definition discrepancy may be the significant variation in components that make up the four definitions.…”

“…One possibility is that it is based on household reporting of current living conditions, which may better capture disadvantage than the Census information, which was based on administrative data collected almost five years before the survey even took place. Slum areas are dynamic in nature and frequent updates are needed to maintain the accuracy of their identification (Montana et al, forthcoming); indeed, information collected at the same time as child health measurement may be particularly informative of health hazards in the immediate vicinity.…”

“…Further serious research interest on slums will be necessary to inform policy debates on this issue (Marx et al, 2013) and should include the collection of both longitudinal data (Entwisle, 2007) to monitor the evolution of slums, as well as satellite and other spatial data along with ground-based validation (Montana et al, forthcoming). Slum growth is not inevitable (Ooi and Phua, 2007); city governments can and should take responsibility for strategic planning and intervention on behalf of deprived urban populations by linking their area’s economic development trajectories with urban growth, housing, and the infrastructural needs of the individuals and families who come to cities looking for a better life.…”

“…Population-based sampling frames drawn from Census for nationally representative surveys like the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) are almost never stratified by slum status (Montana et al, forthcoming) and the inclusion of these data in the most recent NFHS makes the comparison of multiple definitions of slum dwelling in the Indian context possible.…”

Counseling During Maternal and Infant Health Visits and Postpartum Contraceptive Use in Uttar Pradesh, India

“…Among the topics covered in the women’s survey were basic sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive preferences and behavior, use of maternal and child health services, and contraceptive knowledge and use. In each city, slums were purposively oversampled to study the urban poor using a combination of registered slums, high resolution spatial imagery and field checks to verify the list [30]. After slums were appropriately identified, the slum and non-slum domains were divided into smaller areas that could serve as primary sampling units (PSUs) comprising about 100-150 households.…”