Data collection
Background information on age, parity, gestational ageand socio-economic situation was collected from all identified pregnant women at the first household visit prior to their participation in the antenatal care activities. Gestational age was determined by measuring fundal height. The female research field assistants received a 3 day training programme to measure symphysis – fundal height, which was taken in cm with a standard plastic tape. Women were asked to empty the bladder and lie in the supine position with legs extended. Measurements were taken along the longitudinal uterine axis whereby foetal crown– rump length would be reflected. The questionnaire included three indicators of socio-economic
situation: formal schooling of the woman, household landholding and perceived household economic status. Households with less than 0.5 acre of land were categorised as functionally landless. To obtain information on perceived economic status, a woman was asked whether she considered her household’s economic situation in the preceding year to have been always in deficit, occasionally deficit, balanced or surplus. A household was categorised as ‘deficit’ if she answered
either always deficit or occasionally deficit. This indicator to measure household economic status has been tested in
earlier studies conducted in rural Bangladesh.