Louisiana PRAMS

Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is an ongoing, population-based risk factor surveillance system designed to describe maternal behaviors and experiences that occur before, during, and immediately following pregnancy. The program is administered by the Louisiana Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Information collected by Louisiana PRAMS is used by health professionals, policy makers, and researchers to develop and modify programs and policies designed to improve the health of mothers and infants.

Louisiana PRAMS provides both 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

How does Louisiana PRAMS work?

Each month, approximately 200 PRAMS questionnaires are mailed to a random sample of women in Louisiana who have recently given birth. Surveys may be completed online or returned by mail to the Office of Public Health where answers are grouped to provide representative data for the entire state. If no response is received after three survey mailings, mothers are contacted by phone and interviewed. Participation in the study is entirely voluntary and every woman selected to complete the survey has the right to refuse without loss of any services.

Helpful Links from PRAMS

2019 Louisiana PRAMS Surveillance Report ›
View the latest surveillance report

2019 PRAMS Social Media Toolkit ›
Use these PRAMS-related graphics and captions on your social media to help amplify the voices of mothers in Louisiana.

Louisiana PRAMS Data Products ›
Find all PRAMS data and surveillance reports, plus fact sheets using PRAMS data.

National Data ›
See how Louisiana data compares to other states.

Current Survey Questions ›
View the Phase 9 survey questions (2023 - present)

PRAMS Opioid Supplement Survey Questions ›
View the extra questions that address opioid use during pregnancy (2019)

PRAMS Opioid Call Back Survey (OCBS) Questions ›
View the extra questions that address opioid use during pregnancy in more detail (2019)

PRAMS COVID-19 Supplement Survey Questions ›
View the extra questions that address pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020)

PRAMS Disability Supplement Survey Questions ›
View the extra questions that address disability during pregnancy (2019-2020)

Previous Survey Questions ›
View the Phase 8 survey questions (2016 - 2022)

Data Request Form ›
Use this form to request additional Louisiana PRAMS data

New PRAMS Automatic Research File (ARF) ›
The CDC Division of Reproductive Health has a new process for researchers to access PRAMS data in an automatic research file (ARF) that can be downloaded.

For more information about Louisiana PRAMS, contact LA PRAMS at LAPRAMS@la.gov.

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