The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)is a surveillance system designed to identify and monitor behaviors and experiences of women before, during and after pregnancy. Information is collected by surveying a sample of women who have recently given birth.
PRAMS uses a combination of two data collection approaches: statewide mailings of the surveys and telephone follow-up with women who do not return the survey by mail.
Findings from the PRAMS survey are used to develop and assess health programs in public and private health care settings.
Maternal and Child Health Data and Products
- Vital Statistics
- Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (this page)
- Health eMoms
- Child Health Survey
- National Survey of Children's Health
- Healthy Kids Colorado Survey
- Maternal and Child Health data products
Contact Colorado PRAMS
Health Statistics and Evaluation Branch,
HSVR-HS-A1
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
303-692-2160
PRAMS in Colorado
In September 1996, we were awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish PRAMS in Colorado, and data collection began in the spring 1997.
Colorado continues to have one of the highest low-birth-weight rates in the nation for total births and for births in all major racial and ethnic groups. PRAMS provides a method for the collection and analysis of perinatal data to better understand not only low-birth-weight rates, but also maternal behaviors, access to prenatal care, pregnancy intendedness, and health care delivery to women and infants in Colorado. PRAMS data assist Colorado in evaluating and improving services to women and infants so that poor pregnancy outcomes can be prevented.
PRAMS survey topics
The PRAMS questionnaire is mailed to a sample of Colorado women each month. Participants complete the surveys and return them to us, and all answers are grouped to provide data for the entire state. The core set of questions and the questions developed specifically for Colorado collect information on many topics, including:
- Attitudes and feelings about pregnancy.
- Prenatal care and barriers to care.
- Obstetric history.
- Psychosocial support and stress.
- Alcohol and tobacco use.
- Pregnancy-related morbidity.
- Infant health care.
- Economic status of the mother.
- Home safety and injury prevention.
- Health care coverage during pregnancy and delivery.
PRAMS data collection and analysis
Findings from data analysis are distributed to local health departments, state legislators, professional societies, voluntary agencies, health care organizations, and universities.
Annual data summaries
PRAMS questionnaires
Phase 8 (2016-2021)
Phase 7 (2012-2015)
Phase 6 (2009-2011)
Phase 5 (2004-2008)
The PRAMS Project is funded under grant No. U01DP006197-03-02 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.