Estimating Mortality from Census Data: an record linkage study in the Nouna Demographic and Health Surveillance System in Burkina Faso

Yempabou Bruno Lankoande, Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques (INED)/Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population (ISSP)
Bruno Masquelier, Louvain University (UCL)
Hélène Bangre, Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INSD)
Pascal Zabré, Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna - Burkina Faso
Géraldine Duthé, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Abdramane Soura, Université de Ouagadougou
Gilles Pison, Muséum National D'histoire Naturelle
Ali Sié, Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna

Using data collected in the Nouna HDSS in Burkina Faso, we evaluate the reliability of mortality estimates based on the 2006 national census. We extracted from the census database all records referring to the population under surveillance in the HDSS. Life tables were estimated from recent household deaths reported in the census and compared to those obtained from the prospective mortality data. We linked census and HDSS records at the individual level and evaluated the reported ages of household members and those who died in the 12 month preceding the census against those in the HDSS. Life expectancies derived from recent deaths reported in households pointed to lower mortality than monitored in the HDSS, with a difference of 3.2 years for men and 6.8 years for women. Age errors were limited for the surviving population, but larger for the deceased. Underreporting of deaths plays a larger role than age errors.