UN Expert Group Meeting on revision of
ICATUS
11 to 13 June 2012
NEW YORK
Presentation by Mrs. G. Appadu
MAURITIUS
CONTINUOUS MULTI-PURPOSE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
- 2003
WITH A MODULE ON TIME USE STUDY
• The Central Statistics Office conducted the fourth
round of the Continuous Multi- Purpose Household
Survey (CMPHS) from January to December 2003.
Following a request from the High Level Committee on
"Gender-Responsive Budgeting" a time use study (TUS)
was incorporated in that round of the CMPHS.
• Through UNDP, the statistics office received technical
assistance for the planning and organization of the TUS
and for the valuation of unpaid productive work from
the TUS data.
Objectives of the Time Use Study (TUS)
• The aim of the TUS was to obtain information on the way
that individuals spend their time. This information can be
used in numerous ways, the main ones being:
•
the study of the pattern and distribution of different
types of productive and non-productive activities across
socio-economic categories, age, sex, etc.
• the measurement and better understanding of unpaid
productive work.
• measurement of economic activities considered as informal
work (which very often is not reported in labour force
surveys)
Coverage
• Each month, a sample of 540 households was
surveyed. The selection of these households was
done in such a way as to represent all private
households in all urban, semi urban and rural
areas. Thus, a total of 6,480 households (5,940 in
the Island of Mauritius and 540 in the Island of
Rodrigues) was covered during the period
January to December 2003.
• Time use information was collected from all
persons aged 10 years and over in the selected
households. A 24-hour diary, divided into halfhour slots, was used to record all activities
carried out during a specified day.
Data collection
• Fieldwork was organised in such a way as to
cover the same number of households on
each day of the survey reference week.
• However, since 15 households were selected
in each of the regions covered by the CMPHS,
two households were interviewed on each day
of the week and the fifteenth one on any day
of the specified week.
Classification of activities
Activities reported were classified according to the UN trial activity classification
system (test version) with a few adjustments made to cater for local situations (3
digits level)
•
Employment for establishments
•
Work in primary production activities (Informal Sector)
•
Work in non – primary production activities (Informal Sector)
•
Household maintenance, management and shopping for own household
•
Care for children, sick, elderly and disabled household members
•
Community services and help to other households
•
Learning
•
Social and Cultural Activities
•
Mass media use
•
Personal care and self-maintenance
Examples of activities that caused some difficulties during
coding exercise
• Activities done using a computer and internet (to distinguish work , learning , social & cultural activities and mass media use).
• Office work continued after office hours at home
• Doing nothing (was not accepted as being an activity)
• Listening to radio was a day long activity simultaneously with other
activities for some respondents. (Our results showed too much
time was spent on this activity – time spent on simultaneous
activities within a time slot was equally distributed to the reported
activities)
• Supervision of children / adults needing care (specific activities
already classified elsewhere)
• Distinguish between ‘accessing public services’ and ‘waiting time’
for the service
• Week-end activities (particularly visit to sea side which can be
during a whole day)
• Activities that can be informal work or hobby/leisure
(fishing/gardening)
Adapted codes
At 3-digit level
• Different codes for different modes of
transport
• Separate codes used to distinguish care for
children, elderly, other adults needing care
because of health problem in the household
• Separate codes used to distinguish unpaid
care for non household children and adults
• Separate codes for office work continued at
home, kitchen gardening, collecting fire wood,
fetching water
Adapted codes (cont.)
• Recreational activities – separate codes for
visit to the sea side, visit to
recreational/nature parks and visits to other
places of entertainment
• Watching television (public/private channels)
• Attending private tuition identified separately
• Lying in bed because of illness separate from
rest/relaxation
Proposals for additional categories at next TUS
• Social ,cultural and recreational activities:
talking/conversations at home (611)
talking/conversations outside home (611)
visits to relatives/ friends (612)
Receiving relatives/friends (612)
Attending private parties/functions’(weddings,
birthday celebrations, etc.) (613)
Chat with friends, relatives, via internet (611)
Proposals for additional categories (cont.)
• Games and other similar pastime activities (723)
computer/internet games
gambling
• Indoor and outdoor sports activities (731)
Keep fit exercises (separate from participation in
sport activities)
• Activities via internet to be separately identified
(learning, socializing, leisure)
Other issues
• Doing nothing not to be considered as an
activity.
• Treatment of activities in special cases: whole
day spent at the seaside, week-end spent at
relative’s home on special occasions (wedding,
funeral , etc.)
Other issues (cont.)
• For development in quality of life statistics:
Possibility of reporting time slots of
psychological well being
- positive emotions such as laughing,
enjoyment, spiritual well being, etc.
- discomfort (negative feelings such as anger,
feeling depressed, worried, etc.)