Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Use of verbal autopsy by health workers in under-five children
Baridalyne Nongkynrih1, K Anand, S K Kapoor
1Comprehensive Rural Health Service Project, Ballabgarh, Haryana and Center for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110 029, India.
Insights
Health workers can be trained to use verbal autopsy (VA) to determine child mortality causes. This study confirms their capability in identifying leading causes of death like PEM, pneumonia, and diarrhea in under-five children.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Accurate determination of causes of death is crucial for public health interventions.
- Verbal autopsy (VA) is a method used to ascertain causes of death in settings where medical certification is not available.
- Training health workers to administer VA can improve data collection on mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility and accuracy of routine verbal autopsy administration by health workers for determining causes of death in under-five children.
- To evaluate the concordance between health worker-reported causes of death and pediatrician-reviewed VA findings.
Main Methods:
- Health workers were trained to administer a verbal autopsy tool to families of deceased children under five.
- A pediatrician reviewed all completed verbal autopsy forms for deaths occurring between January 2000 and December 2001.
- Data on leading causes of death reported by health workers and the pediatrician were compared.
Main Results:
- A total of 262 under-five deaths were analyzed, with 71% being infant deaths, including 34% neonatal deaths.
- Health workers identified protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), fever, pneumonia, and diarrhea as leading causes of death.
- Pediatrician review corroborated these findings, confirming PEM, diarrhea, and pneumonia as primary causes, alongside fever.
Conclusions:
- Health workers can be effectively trained to routinely administer verbal autopsy tools.
- Trained health workers can accurately identify the leading causes of under-five mortality, including PEM, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
- Verbal autopsy administered by health workers is a viable method for cause-of-death ascertainment in community settings.
Abstract:
We conducted this study to ascertain whether health workers can routinely administer verbal autopsy (VA) to determine the cause of death in their area. The health workers were trained to administer verbal autopsy tool on the deaths occurring in the population under them. All the verbal autopsies of under-five deaths between January 2000 to December 2001 were reviewed by a pediatrician. There were 262 deaths of children under five years in this period, and 71% of them were infants, out of which 34% were neonatal deaths. The health workers reported PEM, fever, pneumonia, and diarrhea as the leading causes of death, based on the existing system of obtaining information provided by the family members. Verbal autopsy forms reviewed by a pediatrician also showed that apart from fever, the first three causes of death were the same i.e., PEM, diarrhea and pneumonia. This study shows that health workers can be trained to use the verbal autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.
More Related Videos
09:33Visualizing Field Data Collection Procedures of Exposure and Biomarker Assessments for the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial in India
Published on: December 23, 2022
05:35A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level
Published on: January 19, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is limited...
01:17Assessment of apical pulse
Assessing the apical pulse is a critical nursing procedure, particularly indicated for:
01:20Assessment of Ventilation I: Respiratory Rate
A Ventilation assessment is critical for monitoring a patient's health status. Respiration, one of the most accessible vital signs, provides insights into the function of numerous body systems and can indicate serious health issues, such as brainstem injuries from head trauma.
Critical Guidelines for Assessing Ventilation:
01:14SBAR II: Application of SBAR
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...
01:26Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders