Cluster Sampling and EPI Methods

Cluster sampling

Cluster:
A group of sampling units close to each other i.e.
crowding together in the same area or neighborhood

 Used when "natural" but relatively homogeneous

groupings are evident in a statistical population.
 In this technique, the total population is divided into
these groups (or clusters) and a simple random
sample of the groups is selected.

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Cluster sampling

1. The population within a cluster should ideally be as

heterogeneous as possible.
2. There should be homogeneity between cluster means.
3. Each cluster should be a small scale representation
of the total population.
4. The clusters should be mutually exclusive and
collectively exhaustive.
Cluster sampling

Household Village

So all the sampling units within the cluster is selected

This is particularly useful in population based studies

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 Cluster sampling
Block 1 Block 2

Block 3

Block 5

Block 4
EPI cluster survey design

 Select a central location in the village or town (e.g.

market, church, tree)
 Randomly select a direction to walk in

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 EPI cluster survey design

 Walk to the edge of the

village in the selected
direction and count the
number of houses
 Select a random number
between 1 and the total
number of houses and return
to this house
 This is the first household
 The second household
should be the one whose
front door is closest to the
first

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Cluster Sampling
Pros
 Most economical way of
sampling
 Sampling frame may exist
at cluster level (e.g.
districts/ boroughs/
postcode)
 Efficient (less time to list
and implement)
Cons
 May not reflect diversity of
community
 Other elements in cluster
may share similar
characteristics and
therefore provides less
information than simple
random sampling
 More variation around the
estimate (bigger confidence
intervals)
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 Example: GPS use

 What about an
area which isn’t
mapped?
 E.g. refugee camp

 Use of GPS or
drones to map an
area
Cluster vs. Stratified Sampling
• Cluster sampling is often confused with stratified sampling, because
they both involve "groups".
• In stratified sampling, the population is split into groups (strata) based
on some characteristic.
• In cluster sampling, the population is already broken into groups
(clusters), and each cluster represents the population.
• Cluster sampling is appropriate when the clusters are approximately
the same size.
Multi-stage sampling

In a two-stage sampling design, a sample of is primary units

is selected and then a sample of secondary units is selected
within each primary unit

Classes Students
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Multi-stage sampling

Two-stage cluster sampling aims at minimizing survey costs and at the

same time controlling the uncertainty related to estimates of interest. It is
used frequently in health and social sciences.
Summary
Summary
• Often a non-random selection of basic sampling
frame (city, organization etc.)
• Fit between sampling frame and research goals
must be evaluated
• Sampling frame as a concept is relevant to all kinds of
research (including nonprobability)
• Nonprobability sampling means you cannot generalize
beyond the sample
• Probability sampling means you can generalize to
the population defined by the sampling frame