Comparability — Bangladesh [top]

The Bangladesh surveys for 1994 and 1997 ask about pregnancies ending in miscarriage, abortion, or stillbirth. The 2000 and 2004 Bangladesh surveys add a fourth type of termination, via "menstrual regulation." Those survey forms include "menstrual regulation" in the table on types of contraception, and define the practice as follows: "When a woman's menstrual period does not come on time, she can go to a health centre or to the FWV [Family Welfare Visitor, a type of community health worker] and have a tube put in her for a short while to bring her period." The 2007 and 2011 Bangladesh surveys returned to the standard question wording about miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion, but asked about menstrual regulation in a separate question. The 2014 Bangladesh survey both asked about menstrual regulation separately and included menstrual regulation along with abortion, stillbirth, and miscarriage in the query about terminated pregnancies.

Comparability — Egypt [top]

Users of PREGTERMIN for the Egyptian samples should be especially attentive to the survey text.

The Egyptian 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2014 surveys significantly depart from the standard DHS wording for this variable. These surveys provide a significant amount of introductory and explanatory text to the questions about abortion, stillbirth, and miscarriage, and they ask about each type of ending to pregnancy separately.

The 1995 Egyptian survey text departs less significantly from the standard DHS question wording for PREGTERMIN, but that survey does ask about each type of ending to pregnancy separately and describes each scenario.

The 1988 Egyptian survey remains closest to the standard DHS questionnaire. However, the 1988 Egyptian survey includes a probe for additional information, asking if the woman had any pregnancy that "lasted only a few weeks or months."

Comparability — Eswatini (Swaziland) [top]

The 2006 Eswatini (Swaziland) survey asked about pregnancies that were miscarried or aborted, but not about stillbirths, for this variable.

Comparability — Ghana [top]

The Ghana 1998 survey includes a description of miscarriage and stillbirth in the question wording. Significantly, the 1998 Ghanaian survey does not specifically mention abortion as a way that a pregnancy would not result in a live birth.

The Ghana 2003, 2008 and 2014 samples do not share the 1998 survey's comparability issue.

Comparability — India [top]

The India 1992 survey asks separately about whether the woman had a stillbirth, induced abortion, or spontaneous abortion.

The India 1998 survey asks whether the woman had a stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, or induced abortion. The question is asked in multiple ways, depending on the woman's birth history. Users should be attentive to the survey text for this variable.

The India 2005 survey does not share the 1992 and 1998 surveys' comparability issues.

Comparability — Madagascar [top]

The Madagascar 1992 survey prefaces this question by explaining abortion and miscarriage as a form of losing a child. The question does not mention stillbirth. Users of PREGTERMIN for the Madagascar 1992 sample should be attentive to the survey text.

The Madagascar 1997 survey only asks whether the woman had an intentional abortion.

The Madagascar 2003 and 2008 samples do not share the 1992 and 1997 surveys' comparability issues.

Comparability — Mali [top]

The Mali 1995 survey departs slightly from the standard DHS questionnaire by first asking whether the woman has had any pregnancies that did not end in a live birth, and then asking specifically for the types of ending to pregnancy.

The Mali 2001, 2006, and 2012 surveys do not share the 1995 survey's comparability issue.

Comparability — Tanzania [top]

The Tanzania 1999 survey asks how many pregnancies the woman has had in total, and requires the interviewer to account for all births, miscarriages, abortions and current pregnancies. PREGTERMIN appears to be calculated by subtracting live births from pregnancies.