Underreporting of births and infant deaths in rural China: evidence from field research in one county of Northern China
Merli, M.G.
China Quarterly 155: 637-655
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0305-7410 DOI: 10.1017/s0305741000050025Document Number: 276184
Field research and data collection for the investigation of the underreporting of births and infant deaths were conducted in Ciqixian, a mostly rural district in Shandong province, China in 1994/95. Two parallel but distinct data collection systems were compared: the family planning demographic and contraceptive surveillance system; and the registers maintained by the health system. Comparisons between birth counts recorded by the two systems are discussed, providing insights into the phenomenon of underreporting in family planning data, and the link between the omission of births from statistical reports and the implementation of family planning policies.