Validating the Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire for Maternal Mortality in Pakistan
Abstract
Maternal mortality represents the largest and the most persistent gap between developed and developing countries. The maternal
mortality ratio (MMR), which measures the risk of death at each pregnancy, is up to 40 times higher in some African countries
than the countries of Northern Europe. MMR is believed to be the most sensitive indicator of womenÂ’s status in the society and of
the quality and accessibility of maternal health services available to women. The primary purpose of the study was to determine
the level of agreement in the cause and the category of death assigned by the hospital and the obstetrician who reviewed
the completed VA questionnaire. The validation study was conducted during July-September 2006 by the National Institute of
Population Studies (NIPS), which is also the executing agency for PDHS 2007. The primary objective of the study was to test
the sensitivity and specicity of the VA questionnaire developed for PDHS 2007. An important lesson learned from this study is
that the sensitivity of the VA technique can be further enhanced by rigorous training of the review panelists in the utilization of the
information contained in the coded parts of the questionnaire.
mortality ratio (MMR), which measures the risk of death at each pregnancy, is up to 40 times higher in some African countries
than the countries of Northern Europe. MMR is believed to be the most sensitive indicator of womenÂ’s status in the society and of
the quality and accessibility of maternal health services available to women. The primary purpose of the study was to determine
the level of agreement in the cause and the category of death assigned by the hospital and the obstetrician who reviewed
the completed VA questionnaire. The validation study was conducted during July-September 2006 by the National Institute of
Population Studies (NIPS), which is also the executing agency for PDHS 2007. The primary objective of the study was to test
the sensitivity and specicity of the VA questionnaire developed for PDHS 2007. An important lesson learned from this study is
that the sensitivity of the VA technique can be further enhanced by rigorous training of the review panelists in the utilization of the
information contained in the coded parts of the questionnaire.
Midhet, F. (2008). Validating the Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire for Maternal Mortality in Pakistan. International Journal of Health Sciences, 2(1). Retrieved from https://pub.qu.edu.sa/index.php/journal/article/view/75
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