Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Louisiana PRAMS)

Louisiana PRAMS is an ongoing, population-based risk factor surveillance system designed to describe selected maternal behaviors and experiences that occur before and during pregnancy as well as during a child's early infancy.

Louisiana PRAMS provides quantitative and qualitative data on:

• Factors that influence pregnancy outcomes, including health insurance status, chronic conditions, pregnancy intention, contraceptive use, prenatal care, alcohol use, tobacco use, physical abuse, and life stress
• Mothers’ experience of pregnancy complications, including hypertension, diabetes, and hospitalizations
• Maternal experiences and behaviors after the baby is born, including depression, maternity leave experiences, breastfeeding, contraceptive use, tobacco and alcohol use, and safe infant sleep practices

Information collected by Louisiana PRAMS is used by health professionals, policymakers, and researchers to develop and modify programs and policies designed to improve the health of mothers and infants.

PRAMS Survey

The PRAMS questionnaire is mailed to approximately 200 Louisiana women each month (approximately 3.0% of live births in the state). Mothers who are asked to complete the questionnaire are randomly selected from the list of birth certificates in Louisiana's Vital Record Registry. Once participants complete and return the surveys to the Office of Public Health, answers are grouped to provide representative data for the entire state. If no response is received after three survey mailings, mothers are then contacted and interviewed by telephone. Participation in the Louisiana PRAMS study is entirely voluntary and every woman selected to complete the survey has the right to refuse without loss of any services.

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Louisiana PRAMS Surveillance and Data Reports

How to Use Louisiana PRAMS Data

Louisiana PRAMS data can be used and disseminated to do the following:

• Assess existing public health programs.
• Develop or implement new programs.
• Modify existing programs.
• Monitor progress toward national Healthy People objectives or state health goals.
• Support legislative proposals.
• Provide data for Title V Block Grant needs assessments.
• Inform communities.

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Contact

Julie Johnston, MPH
LBDMN & PRAMS Program Manager | Bureau of Family Health
Julie.Johnston@la.gov
(225) 342-2017