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Purpose

To elicit the list of observable behaviors that directly or indirectly influence women's health and their health-seeking behaviors. Because direct observation is a time-consuming activity, this unit has been made an Advanced Technique.

Data Collection

1. Decide on the parameters of the observation What will be the duration of the observation (1 hour, 3 hours, all day?). How will you mark the end of specific activities? Will the observation focus on a specific location or be person-based? Should you choose the same hours for each woman? For person-based observations, do you follow them if they leave the house? If they leave the village?

Some suggested guidelines:

a. Follow the woman wherever she goes.

b. Should observe all hours of the day (if possible).

c. Write down a lot of detail. Do not code initially.

2. Select People to Observe (if person-based). Choose sample households based on variation of important characteristics (e.g., size of household, socioeconomic status, etc.). Conduct observations on 5 to 10 households. An optimal approach is to observe for at least 3 to 4 sets of all hours of the day. The more the better.

3. Data Recording. Upon arrival at the observation household, draw a map on Form 11.1, describing key features (i.e., houses, fences, walls, cooking areas, etc.). Use this form to record information on all relevant actors during the observation (name, sex, age, other information of importance).

4. Actual recording of activities and events can be recorded on Form 11.2. This form has spaces for the following information on every activity of importance: the time it occured, the actor(s) involved, the nature of the activity or event, and a space to assign a particular code to the event/ activity.

Data Analysis

1. Code Form 11.2. These observation codes may be the same as those used analyze the key informant interviews. In addition, existing codes may be expanded, or a new coding system for observational data can be developed.

2. Tabulate Women's Activities on Form 11.3. You may wish to develop a classification scheme for women's activities (e.g., domestic, income-generating, feeding/preparing food, etc.). Such a scheme may be used for observations of both the individuals and groups.

3. Create a Composite Picture of an average woman's work-day on Form 1 1.4. Write the names of some of the categories of women's activities along the top of the form in the spaces provided. On the rest of the form, roughly block in the "usual" hours of the day spent on those activities.

Interpretation Suggestions

1. How many hours per day do women work on average? What are their main activities?

2. Are all women equally busy? How does women's workload vary with the household composition, economic status, or other factors?

3. If you were trying to schedule health education activities for women in the community, when would be the best time? Where?

4. What types of activities occur daily? Which are more infrequent?

5. Are any activities performed by other household members? Which activities are exclusively "women's activities"?

6. Think about possible seasonal variations. Is women's workload the same throughout the year? Which seasons or months are the busiest? The least busy?

DATA COLLECTION FORM 11.1
Direct Observation Identification (sample)

Key:

DATA COLLECTION FORM 11.2
Observation Event Matrix (sample)

DATA ANALYSIS FORM 11.3
Overall Tabulation of Women's Activities (sample)

DATA ANALYSIS FORM 11.4
Women's Daily Activities Composite (sample)

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