Assessing the validity of indicators of the quality of maternal and newborn health care in Kenya

Abstract

Few indicators met both validation criteria, partly because many routine care interventions almost always occurred, and there was insufficient variation for robust analysis. Validity is influenced by whether the woman had a cesarean section, and by question wording. Low validity is associated with indicators related to the timing or sequence of events. The validity of maternal and newborn quality of care indicators should be assessed in a range of settings to refine these findings.