Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: University students' awareness of causes and risk factors of miscarriage: a cross -sectional 
study.  
 
Version: 0 Date: 07 Aug 2018  
 
Reviewer: Joyce Engel  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Thank you for the opportunity to review this nteresting article that presents findings related to a 
unique problem a nd not one that I have seen presented previously in miscarriage research.  The 
article presents a good case for considering education about miscarriage within this population 
through the use of literature and then, through discussion and findings.  In gene ral, I found the 
article well laid out and logical in its progression.  There do not seem to be any major 
methodological issues, although I would recommend that the authors include a working of 
definition of miscarriage - while I appreciate that part of th e survey was for the participants to 
identify parameters for miscarriage, it is difficult to assess whether or not student responses re 
number of weeks, for example, was inaccurate because there is no baseline definition of 
miscarriage introduced in the ar ticle.  This is important because the definition of miscarriage 
varies considerably by country and by jurisdiction.  In your findings and discussion, it is unclear 
how you have clustered groups (what is included in Medicine and Health, for example?).  Surv ey 
administration is explained very clearly - thank you. In your discussion of survey questions, you 
include the survey questions and rating in the same bracket (LN 116 -117), which is confusing - 
suggest that you separate questions and rating scales for cl arity. Some inconsistency in findings 
(which may be simply how it is being presented) - for example, on LN 173, you suggest that 
students from Engineering and Food Science are more likely to report that they did not know 
anyone with a miscarriage - this di rectly seems to contradict what is on LN 176 -177 that suggests 
that students...from Engineering and Food Science are more likely to know someone who has 
had a miscarriage.  Overall, the article is terse in format, but needs some good editing to address 
syntax and spelling issues (e.g., LN 119 - awkward syntax - says "being aware of" - needs to be 
expressed as something like 'awareness of family member" in order to have parallel construction; 
LN 123 - descriptive analysis were - ?should be descriptive analys is was; LN 199 -"mother as a 
causative.." - word seems to be missing; and so on.)  
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain  or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the fut ure? 
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of  the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
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