Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Step 1: Read the title and subtitle.They tell you the topic and the specific population group being described.In this case, the table is about exposure to mass media among women age 15-49.All eligible female respondents age 15-49 were asked these questions.Step 2: Scan the column headings-highlighted in green in Example 1.They describe how the information is categorized.In this table, the first column of data shows the percentage of women who read a newspaper at least once a week.The second column shows the percentage of women who watch television at least once a week.The third column shows the percentage of women who listen to the radio at least once a week.The fourth column shows the percentage of women who access all three types of mass media (newspaper, television, and radio) weekly, while the fifth column indicates women who do not access any of these three forms of media weekly.The last column lists the number of women age 15-49 who were included in the survey in each subgroup.1 2 3 4 Reading and Understanding the 2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) • xix Step 3: Scan the row headings-the first vertical column highlighted in blue in Example 1.These show the different ways the data are divided into categories based on population characteristics.In this case, thetable presents women's exposure to mass media by age, urban-rural residence, state/region, educational level, and wealth quintile.Step 4: Look at the row at the bottom of the table highlighted in pink.These percentages represent the total percentage of women age 15-49 who are exposed to each type of media.In this case, 15.5%* of women read a newspaper at least once a week, while 59.7% watch television at least once a week.Step 5: To find out what percentage of women age 15-49 in rural areas listen to the radio weekly, draw two imaginary lines, as shown on the table.This shows that 26.3% of women age 15-49 in rural areas listen to the radio at least once a week.Step 6: By looking at patterns by background characteristics, we can see how exposure to the media varies across Myanmar.Access to media is not universal; knowing how women access media can help program planners and policy makers determine how to most effectively use resources to communicate health messages.*For the purpose of this document data are presented exactly as they appear in the table including decimal places.However, the text in the standard DHS final report chapters rounds data to the nearest whole percentage point.Practice: Use the table in Example 1 to answer the following questions about women's exposure to media:a) Which of the three types of mass media is most commonly accessed?b) Is there a clear pattern in access to media by a woman's education?c) What are the lowest and highest percentages (range) of access to all 3 types of media by state/region?d) Is there a clear pattern in access to media by wealth quintile?Answers: a) Television is the most commonly accessed type of media, viewed by 59.7% of Myanmar women at least once a week b) Yes, access to each of the three types of media increase with a woman's education.Conversely, access to NONE of these 3 types of media decreases with education.c) Very few women in Myanmar access all three types of media weekly, ranging from 2.9% in Rakine State to 11.3% in Ayeyarwady Region.d) In general, access to media increases with household wealth.This relationship is strong for newspapers and television watching, while listening to the radio is not closely tied to household wealth.
Source: Asian Women
Authors: Chiew Way Ang, Siow Li Lai
Institution: University of Malaya
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4302763869