pgph.0006455.t006: Verbal Autopsy Data on Child Illness Severity and Careseeking

Seven verbal and social autopsy (VASA) studies conducted in Africa and Asia provide data on caregiver perception of illness severity and formal health careseeking for neonates and 1–11-month-olds. The dataset, authored by Henry D. Kalter and last updated in May 2026, includes analysis of a 2-sign method and a multiple sign method for classifying illness severity. It examines covariates such as child age and illness type against careseeking outcomes.

Use Cases

• Developing illness severity classification tools for neonates based on activity level and feeding behavior mentioned in the description
• Analyzing the relationship between caregiver-perceived illness severity and formal healthcare seeking behavior
• Identifying demographic and illness-related covariates (e.g., child age, infectious illness) associated with increased careseeking
• Informing the design of behavior change messages to encourage careseeking for moderate illness signs

Strengths

• Data originates from seven distinct VASA studies, providing a multi-country perspective
• Includes analysis of a developed 2-sign method and a multiple sign method for illness classification
• Examines covariates like child age and illness type with reported adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and confidence intervals

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The dataset is very small at 13.5 KB, indicating limited scope or summary-level data

Provenance

Source

Henry D. Kalter via figshare

Collection Method

Aggregated from seven verbal and social autopsy (VASA) studies

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-22 17:46:47; freshness should be verified

Geography

Studies conducted in Africa and Asia