Data collection

The study included all pregnant women who were referred to the maternity ward who consented to participation, using the consent form given in Additional file 1. Participants were followed up to discharge or death.

Two trained research assistants identified possible participants while the principal investigator verified suitability for study inclusion. The ‘Safe Motherhood questionnaire’ developed by the Maternal Neonatal Program of JHPIEGO, an affiliate of John Hopkins University [5] was used, and adapted to the local context to include a question regarding purchase of birth materials as a common birth preparedness practice (Additional file 1). The expert translator translated it from the English version to the local language (Kinyarwanda), and then another translator translated this text back into English to check whether the original meaning was still present.

The questionnaire pertained to socio-demographic variables such as age, residence, religion, education level, marital and employment status, and other variables with regard to antenatal care (including type of advice received and type of health worker seen), obstetric history, reasons for referral. With regard to knowledge of obstetric danger signs, we assessed whether a woman, when prompted, could mention danger signs and symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, fits, swelling of face or limbs, fever, loss of consciousness, headache, abdominal pain, prolonged labor and retained placenta.

Lastly, four ‘BP/CR questions’ verified whether the woman had taken one of the following four steps: A) identification of a skilled birth attendant, B) identification of the location of the closest appropriate care facility, C) identification of a means of transport to that facility, D) saving money for hospital costs/birth materials. Women answering ‘yes’ to at least three of these four BP/CR questions were labeled ‘well prepared’. Remaining women were labeled ‘less prepared’. We also assessed whether mentioning of at least two danger signs during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum was associated with being well prepared.