FPPAYLASTAMT Question

Hello,

In the PMA2020 data, the variable FPPAYLASTAMT “reports the amount in the local currency the woman paid for family planning services when she last obtained a family planning method, if she last obtained a family planning method within the last 12 months.”

However, when I took a look at the original wording of the question is, “The last time you received your [MOST RECENT / CURRENT METHOD], how much did you have to pay out of pocket, including any fees paid for the method, supplies or services, and transportation?”

What is meant by “transportation” in the original question? Are fees paid for transportation those that the woman paid to reach the family planning facility? Or, does this mean transportation for the method (i.e. sometimes methods that are out of stock need to be picked up by an employee from somewhere else)? Finally, does the FPPAYLASTAMT variable include such transportation fees across all PMA2020 countries?

Thank you, in advance, for your help!

The questionnaire wording is the only available documentation for these questions, so it really depends on the interpretation of the respondent. The IPUMS PMA team has generally assumed this means the woman’s transportation to the facility or service provider to obtain the method. However, you can look further at the original questionnaires, either at the country-specific questionnaires or the questionnaire tab for FPPAYLASTAMT.

The availability tab for FPPAYLASTAMT indicates which samples for which the variable is included. You can determine which samples ask about transportation fees by looking at the questionnaire text available in the questionnaire tab for FPPAYLASTAMT; based on a preliminary glance, it looks like most countries include it except Indonesia.