This is a 5-digit variable whose values represent the number of grasscutters owned, except for the following codes:

99990 = Logical edit
99996 = Not interviewed (household questionnaire)
99997 = Don't know
99998 = No response
99999 = NIU (not in universe)

Description

GRASSCUTNUM reports the total number of "grasscutters" owned by the household. "Grasscutter" refers to the greater cane rat, a small rodent that is utilized as a food source in Ghana and other areas of West Africa.

Users should be careful to distinguish this variable from GRASSCUTHOME (the number of grasscutters on the homestead, which may or may not be owned by the household).

Respondents were asked to report what assets the household owned in order to calculate a wealth index based on assets. This information can be found in the variables SCORE, WEALTHQ, and WEALTHT.

Enumerators were instructed to code "Don't know" or "No response" cases as -88 and -99, respectively. However, in some samples, a select number of enumerators recorded an unexpectedly high number of 88 and 99 values for livestock variables. We believe the majority of these cases were intended to represent "don't know" and "no responses" instead of indicating a number of livestock. IPUMS has recoded these cases to "Logical edit - missing".

The question associated with this variable was included in the household questionnaire.

Comparability

There are no comparability issues.

Universe

Availability

• Ghana: 2014-2017