DP21-001 Minnesota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, Component A

Project Summary: The Minnesota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is an ongoing, population-based surveillance system designed to identify and monitor selected maternal experiences and behaviors that occur before and during pregnancy and during the child’s early infancy among a stratified sample of women delivering a live birth. The purpose of PRAMS is to collect state-specific, population-based data on maternal and child health indicators of high scientific quality to inform programs and policies relating to maternal and infant health. PRAMS began as part of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to reduce infant mortality and low birth weight. The objectives for PRAMS are: 1) to continue surveillance of selected maternal attitudes, behaviors and experiences that occur prior to, during, and after pregnancy; 2) provide a high quality data source for ongoing monitoring of risk factors for maternal and infant health; 3) to analyze and translate PRAMS data to inform planning and evaluation of public health programs and policy; 4) to build capacity for collecting, analyzing and translating data to address relevant maternal and infant health issues. Minnesota-specific objectives include addressing the large disparities in pregnancy-related health that are masked by the small size of Minnesota’s populations of color and American Indians and to provide useful results to inform and influence public health planners throughout the state. Minnesota PRAMS contributes to the mission of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) “protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans” by contributing to key MDH goals, most importantly, that all Minnesotans are given a healthy start in life. Minnesota PRAMS collects information from Minnesota-resident mothers who had a live birth in Minnesota within the last three to six months. Mothers are selected using a monthly stratified, systematic sample of recently filed birth certificates. Currently, U.S.-born African American and American Indian women are oversampled as these are priority higher-risk populations. Mothers are offered the survey by mail and later by telephone. The monthly samples are combined into an annual file, weighted for non-response, non-coverage and sample design. Results from MN PRAMS are used to provide weighted annual estimates of experiences and behaviors of Minnesota-resident women who had a live birth in Minnesota that year.