Characteristics of pregnant women in Mozambique--parity, child survival and socioeconomic status.

As a basis for improvement of maternal health care programmes in Mozambique, 1051 pregnant women were interviewed at 10 sites in 8 of the country's 10 provinces. Two-thirds of the women lived in rural areas. The average number of previous births ranged from 2.4 to 4.7 and was significantly correlated to the proportion of children lost before 5 years of age. Child survival was significantly higher when the woman had received some education, possessed a radio, or the woman or her husband had paid employment. In the most underprivileged rural area, 56% of the children had died before the age of 5 and 35% of the pregnant women had undergone 6 childbirths or more. It is concluded that in order to improve maternal and child health it is necessary to increase socioeconomic development as well as improve maternal and child health care.