Creating a state-level policy data dashboard to facilitate research on reproductive health

The study of state-level Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) policies and their impact on health outcomes is hindered by the absence of a comprehensive, longitudinal database. The existing fragmented and incomplete data sources limit the field's ability to produce robust research. This project aims to address this critical gap by creating, optimizing, and disseminating a comprehensive, open-access data dashboard of state SRH policies spanning from 1973 to 2028 that prioritizes rigorous legal expertise and accessibility for users. This period crucially captures both historical and contemporary policy changes, starting in 1973 to coincide with the Roe v. Wade ruling capturing a full six legislative years after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, a crucial contemporary period of SRH policymaking likely to shape SRH and MCH outcomes for years to come. Our overarching goal is to facilitate rigorous research on the associations and causal pathways between state SRH policies and health outcomes. Aim 1 will compile comprehensive state SRH policy data by collecting and aggregating approximately 90 state-level policies related to the three key domains of abortion, contraception, and sex education in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Rigorous policy surveillance methodology will be employed to systematically collect and code relevant statutes, regulations, executive orders, case law, and attorney general opinions. Furthermore, we will engage public health and social science researchers in a human-centered design process to elicit data requirements and create consistent variables that balance accuracy with accessibility. Aim 2 seeks to enhance the usability of the data by building a user-friendly dashboard. This will involve iterative user experience design to optimize functionality and incorporate feedback from researchers. State-of-the-art data science techniques will be used to create a platform that houses ready- to-use SRH policy data files and offers multi-policy visualization capabilities. This will enable researchers to efficiently explore geographic and temporal patterns and policy co-existence. Aim 3 focuses on the dissemination of the dashboard. We will showcase its utility through peer-reviewed studies that comprehensively document the history and variability of state policy on abortion, contraception, and sex education while illustrating its potential uses in future research. We will develop and publish targeted methodological guidance to facilitate rigorous policy data analysis and support users’ production of high-quality research. Given the evolving socio-legal landscape with active revisions to SRH policies by states, our dashboard will provide the definitive source of accurate, research-ready data. It will empower researchers to conduct the rigorous analyses necessary for evidence-based policymaking, ultimately contributing to the improvement of SRH and related maternal-child health outcomes in the United States.