Column (8) Age
Based on the information in columns (4) through (7), that is, the month and year of birth, the age of the person in question can be calculated, and that number should be put in column (8). Write the age in terms of years only and rounded it downward. If the month and/or the year of someone's birth are unknown, try to get some information about his age. If it is difficult to get any information about his age, try to help the respondent by
- Asking his age when some important events occurred, for example, his age when he married,
[p.11]
age when his first child was born, etc. Based on this information, the enumerator must estimate the age of the person now.
- Ask the age of the person in question when important national or local events occurred by utilizing form SUPAS II.3. In SUPAS II.3 some important events, both national and local, have been noted. By knowing a person's age at the time of one of these particular events, the enumerator can easily calculate that person's age today.
Example: If it is estimated that a person's age is about thirty years, then estimate his age by referring to events more or less 30 years ago. In SUPAS II.3 the Independence Day of Indonesia (August 17, 1945) is noted. Ask the person his age at the time of that event. If the answer, for example, is 3 years old, then calculate his age as follows:
In form SUPAS II.3 the independence event occurred 30 years ago.
If at that time his age was 3 years, then his age now would be 30 years + 3 years = 33 years old.
If the age can be obtained directly, ask the age or an estimate, don't write the month and birth year. The month and birth year cannot be calculated from the estimate of the age. The month and year of birth can only be written if known by the respondent.