Demography and health indicators: lifetime risk of maternal death: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Demography and health indicators: lifetime risk of maternal death

Sample item

A report quotes the lifetime risk of maternal death for a country. What does this indicator express?

AChance that a 15-year-old girl will eventually die of a maternal causeBShare of all deaths among women aged 15 to 49 due to maternal causesCMaternal deaths per 100,000 women of reproductive age in a yearDMaternal deaths per 100,000 live births in a year

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Chance that a 15-year-old girl will eventually die of a maternal cause

The lifetime risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old girl will die from a maternal cause during her reproductive years, taking into account both the level of fertility and the level of maternal mortality. It differs from the maternal mortality ratio, which is per 100,000 live births.

Option by option

A. Chance that a 15-year-old girl will eventually die of a maternal cause (correct)
Correct. It combines the chance of becoming pregnant repeatedly with the risk of death from each pregnancy.
B. Share of all deaths among women aged 15 to 49 due to maternal causes
This is the proportion of deaths of women of reproductive age that are maternal, a different measure.
C. Maternal deaths per 100,000 women of reproductive age in a year
This is the maternal mortality rate, which has women of reproductive age as the denominator.
D. Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in a year
This is the maternal mortality ratio, which has live births as the denominator.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is A, Chance that a 15-year-old girl will eventually die of a maternal cause. The lifetime risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old girl will die from a maternal cause during her reproductive years, taking into account both the level of fertility and the level of maternal mortality.

Why is "Share of all deaths among women aged 15 to 49 due to maternal causes" not the answer?

This is the proportion of deaths of women of reproductive age that are maternal, a different measure.

Why is "Maternal deaths per 100,000 women of reproductive age in a year" not the answer?

This is the maternal mortality rate, which has women of reproductive age as the denominator.

Why is "Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in a year" not the answer?

This is the maternal mortality ratio, which has live births as the denominator.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Demography and health indicators: lifetime risk of maternal death in PSM. It differs from the maternal mortality ratio, which is per 100,000 live births.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Demography and health indicators: lifetime risk of maternal death?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.