Knowledge of Pregnancy Warning Signs
Indicator Phrasing
English: % of women of reproductive age who are able to state at least three warning signs during pregnancy
French: % de femmes en âge de procréer qui sont capables de citer au moins trois signes d'alerte pendant la grossesse
Portuguese: % de mulheres em idade reprodutiva que são capazes de identificar pelo menos três sinais de aviso durante a gravidez
Czech: % žen v reproduktivním věku schopných uvést alespoň tři rizikové příznaky v průběhu těhotenství
What is its purpose?
The indicator assesses the proportion of women of reproductive age aware of at least three warning signs during pregnancy – a key pre-condition for seeking timely and appropriate care.
How to Collect and Analyse the Required Data
Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of women of reproductive age:
RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)
Q1: During pregnancy, a woman may encounter severe problems or illnesses which require her to go or be taken to a health facility immediately. What symptoms would cause you to immediately go to a health facility for a medical examination?
A1: _
1) vaginal bleeding
2) fast/ difficult breathing
3) high fever
4) severe abdominal pain
5) headache/ blurred vision
6) convulsions
7) foul-smelling discharge/ fluid from the vagina
8) baby stops moving
9) leaking brownish/ greenish fluid from the vagina
10) swelling of face, hands or feet
Note: If less than three signs are stated, keep probing: “Are there any other warning signs you know?”
To calculate the indicator’s value, divide the respondents aware of at least three of the pre-defined warning signs by the total number of respondents. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.
E-Questionnaire
Disaggregate by
Consider disaggregating the data by location (rural/ urban), socio-economic characteristics (education level, wealth quintile) and the number of respondent’s children (none, one, two, three, four …).
Important Comments
1) Consider using a slightly revised indicator for assessing the knowledge of important family members, such as their mothers-in-law, mothers or husbands.