TY - JOUR
T1 - Validation study of a verbal autopsy method for causes of childhood mortality in Namibia
AU - Mobley, Cynthia C.
AU - Boerma, J. Ties
AU - Titus, Stephen
AU - Lohrke, Britte
AU - Shangula, K.
AU - Black, Robert E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The investigator, a consultant for Macro International, was a Preventive Medicine Resident at Johns Hopkins University during the study. Financial assistance was provided by the World Bank through a grant from Japan. The authors are grateful to the following for their assistance in conducting this study: Dr Nestor Shivute, Dr Michael Rabbow, and Mr Puumue Katjiuanjo at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Republic of Namibia, and Dr. Barbara Potschka, Oshikuku St Martin's Hospital.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1996/12
Y1 - 1996/12
N2 - Verbal autopsy uses a caretaker interview to determine the cause of death. We conducted a study of the major causes of child death in Namibia to determine the validity of this method. A questionnaire, including signs and symptoms of the diagnoses of interest was administered to the caretaker in 135 deaths of children < 5 years old who were identified from hospital records. The 243 diagnoses included malnutrition (77), diarrhoea (73), pnemonia (36), malaria (33), and measles (24). Sensitivity and specificity of various algorithms of reported signs and symptoms were compared to the medical diagnoses. An algorithm for malnutrition (very thin or swelling) had 73 per cent sensitivity and 76 per cent specificity. An algorithm for cerebral malaria (fever, loss of consciousness or convulsion) had 72 per cent sensitivity and 85 per cent specificity, while for all malaria deaths the same algorithm had low sensitivity (45 per cent) and high specificity (87 per cent). For diarrhoea, loose or liquid stools had high sensitivity (89 per cent), but low specificity (61 per cent). Cough with dyspnoea or tachypnoea had 72 per cent sensitivity and 64 per cent specificity. An algorithm for measles (age ≤ 120 days, rash) had 71 per cent sensitivity and 85 per cent specificity. The study results suggest verbal autopsy data can be useful to ascertain the leading causes of death in childhood, but may have limitations for health impact evaluation.
AB - Verbal autopsy uses a caretaker interview to determine the cause of death. We conducted a study of the major causes of child death in Namibia to determine the validity of this method. A questionnaire, including signs and symptoms of the diagnoses of interest was administered to the caretaker in 135 deaths of children < 5 years old who were identified from hospital records. The 243 diagnoses included malnutrition (77), diarrhoea (73), pnemonia (36), malaria (33), and measles (24). Sensitivity and specificity of various algorithms of reported signs and symptoms were compared to the medical diagnoses. An algorithm for malnutrition (very thin or swelling) had 73 per cent sensitivity and 76 per cent specificity. An algorithm for cerebral malaria (fever, loss of consciousness or convulsion) had 72 per cent sensitivity and 85 per cent specificity, while for all malaria deaths the same algorithm had low sensitivity (45 per cent) and high specificity (87 per cent). For diarrhoea, loose or liquid stools had high sensitivity (89 per cent), but low specificity (61 per cent). Cough with dyspnoea or tachypnoea had 72 per cent sensitivity and 64 per cent specificity. An algorithm for measles (age ≤ 120 days, rash) had 71 per cent sensitivity and 85 per cent specificity. The study results suggest verbal autopsy data can be useful to ascertain the leading causes of death in childhood, but may have limitations for health impact evaluation.
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U2 - 10.1093/tropej/42.6.365
DO - 10.1093/tropej/42.6.365
M3 - Article
C2 - 9009566
AN - SCOPUS:0030450966
SN - 0142-6338
VL - 42
SP - 365
EP - 369
JO - Journal of tropical pediatrics
JF - Journal of tropical pediatrics
IS - 6
ER -