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Measuring Coverage in MNCH

Determining and Interpreting Inequalities in Coverage of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Interventions

Bibliographic Data

ID23382135
AuthorsAluísio J D Barros (0000-0002-2022-8729, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, corresponding author), Cesar G Victora (0000-0002-2465-2180, Universidade Federal de Pelotas)
EditorsNyovani Madise (0000-0002-2813-5295)
Year2013
Volume10
Issue5
Pagese1001390
Publication date2013-05-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLoS Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1549-1277 • E-ISSN: 1549-1676
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pmed.1001390
PMID23667332
PMCIDPMC3646214
OpenAlexW1981910462
LanguageEN
Citations received131
References cited29

To monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, it is essential to monitor the coverage of health interventions in subgroups of the population, because national averages can hide important inequalities. In this review, we provide a practical guide to measuring and interpreting inequalities based on surveys carried out in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on the health of mothers and children. Relevant stratification variables include urban/rural residence, geographic region, and educational level, but breakdowns by wealth status are increasingly popular. For the latter, a classification based on an asset index is the most appropriate for national surveys. The measurement of intervention coverage can be made by single indicators, but the use of combined measures has important advantages, and we advocate two summary measures (the composite coverage index and the co-coverage indicator) for the study of time trends and for cross-country comparisons. We highlight the need for inequality measures that take the whole socioeconomic distribution into account, such as the relative concentration index and the slope index of inequality, although simpler measures such as the ratio and difference between the richest and poorest groups may also be presented for non-technical audiences. Finally, we present a framework for the analysis of time trends in inequalities, arguing that it is essential to study both absolute and relative indicators, and we provide guidance to the joint interpretation of these results.

Composite index · Composite indicator · Demographic economics · Econometrics · Economics · Environmental health · Geography · Index (typography) · Inequality · Population · Psychological intervention · Residence · Socioeconomic status · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Computer Science · Global Maternal and Child Health · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Mathematics · Medicine

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Unique citing works131
Citations per year10,08
Citation span2013 - 2026 (14)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedYes
Citation typesNeutral: 105
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