Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40263256›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Subnational variations in the quality of household survey data in sub-Saharan Africa.

Valentin Seidler, Edson C Utazi, Amelia B Finaret, Sebastian Luckeneder, Gregor Zens, Maksym Bodarenko, Abigail W Smith, Sarah E K Bradley, Andrew J Tatem, Patrick Webb

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Mental health and substance use problems among adolescents in Lesotho: Prevalence, access to care, and association with lifestyle factors.Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Valentin SeidlerCentral European University, Vienna, Austria. seidlerv@ceu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7076-7424
Edson C UtaziWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Sciencevundefined, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0534-5310
Amelia B FinaretUniversity of Edinburgh, Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0573-8699
Sebastian LuckenederVienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6735-301X
Gregor ZensInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2253-8736
Maksym BodarenkoWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Sciencevundefined, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4958-6551
Abigail W SmithAllegheny College, Department of Global Health Studies, Meadville, PA, USA.
Sarah E K BradleyIndependent Public Health Demographer, Washington D.C., USA.
Andrew J TatemWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Sciencevundefined, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7270-941X
Patrick WebbTufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9857-3354

Funding

Austrian Science Fund (Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung) P 34329-GOesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian National Bank) 18157United States Agency for International Development (U.S. Agency for International Development) 7200AA21LE00001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Nationally representative household surveys collect geocoded data that are vital to tackling health and other development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Scholars and practitioners generally assume uniform data quality but subnational variation of errors in household data has never been investigated at high spatial resolution. Here, we explore within-country variation in the quality of most recent household surveys for 35 African countries at 5 × 5 km resolution and district levels. Findings show a striking heterogeneity in the subnational distribution of sampling and measurement errors. Data quality degrades with greater distance from settlements, and missing data as well as imprecision of estimates add to quality problems that can result in vulnerable remote populations receiving less than optimal services and needed resources. Our easy-to-access geospatial estimates of survey data quality highlight the need to invest in better targeting of household surveys in remote areas.

Indexed as

Data AccuracyFamily CharacteristicsAfrica South of the SaharaHumansSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID40263256
PMCPMC12015360

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.