In May 2018, the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC) launched the Tribal Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) – a new tribal public health surveillance system designed to learn more about the experiences, attitudes and behaviors of new American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) mothers before, during, and after their pregnancy. Key topics on the survey include prenatal and preconception care, breastfeeding, substance use, stress and stressors, health insurance coverage, and infant health care and safety.

 

Tribal PRAMS is a collaboration between AASTEC, the Navajo Tribal Epidemiology Center, and the New Mexico Department of Health.

 

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The survey is complimentary to the existing New Mexico PRAMS, where the majority of new AI/AN mothers not selected for participation in this state-sponsored surveillance system, are invited to participate in Tribal PRAMS. The survey instrument consists of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PRAMS core survey questions, the NM-state specific PRAMS questions, and a Tribal addendum, which includes questions about breastfeeding, injury prevention, language, and cultural activities. Survey administration is multimodal, where participants can complete the survey by mail, online, or telephone.

The overarching goal of Tribal PRAMS is to strengthen the availability of high quality, AI/AN-specific data that can be used by tribes and tribal health programs to:

• Understand the health status and specific needs of AI/AN mothers and their babies throughout New Mexico
• Monitor trends in the health status of AI/AN perinatal women and their infants over time
• Develop and/or enhance health programs and clinical care for AI/AN perinatal women and their infants
• Inform tribal maternal child health policy development

For more information on Tribal PRAMS, please contact Sheldwin Yazzie shyazzie@aaihb.org or Ayanna Woolfork awoolfork@aaihb.org