The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) as a crucial survey to gather data on maternal experiences spanning from pre-conception to postpartum. This comprehensive approach positions PRAMS as a vital Risk Assessment Tool For Pregnancy Care, offering invaluable insights into factors impacting maternal and infant health.
Texas has been an active participant in PRAMS since 2002, leveraging this system to refine and improve healthcare services for mothers and newborns. Expectant and new mothers in Texas are invited to participate in the Texas PRAMS survey, contributing their experiences via phone, mail, or online platforms. This engagement is essential for building a robust dataset that informs public health initiatives.
The Texas PRAMS survey is meticulously designed to cover a spectrum of health-related topics. These include critical areas such as access to prenatal care, the circumstances surrounding pregnancy planning, and behavioral health factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking habits. Furthermore, the survey extends to assess socio-economic factors like insurance coverage, sensitive issues like intimate partner violence, and maternal mental health conditions such as postpartum depression. Infant health indicators, including breastfeeding practices and infant sleep positions, are also integral components of the PRAMS questionnaire.
Within Texas, PRAMS stands as the most extensive population-based source of data concerning maternal health throughout the pregnancy and postpartum periods. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), in collaboration with numerous state agencies and stakeholders, utilizes PRAMS data to shape, create, and implement evidence-driven policies aimed at elevating the well-being of Texas mothers and their babies. This data-informed approach underscores the significance of PRAMS as a risk assessment tool for pregnancy care, directly influencing healthcare policy and practice.
Texas PRAMS data, previously presented in annual Databook format, is now accessible through an interactive dashboard. This dynamic platform, the PRAMS Data Dashboard, is hosted on the Texas Health Data site. The dashboard offers multiple perspectives on survey results and receives annual updates. Data availability typically follows a two-year lag due to the CDC’s rigorous data collection, cleaning, and weighting processes.
Resources including the current Texas PRAMS Questionnaire and the 2018 Databook are readily available. Older data sets can be requested as needed. For specific inquiries regarding PRAMS questions, individuals can contact the Texas PRAMS Coordinator via email at [email protected] or by phone at 512-776-2935. Further comprehensive information about PRAMS is accessible on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/prams/index.html.
Phase 9 English Questionnaire (344KB, PDF).
Texas 2018 PRAMS Databook Summary (790KB, PDF).
2012-2019 Texas PRAMS Data Dashboard is updated annually.
