PRAMS for DADS: Development of a Pilot Study Lee Warner, PhD, MPH Chief, Women’s Health and Fertility Branch Division of Reproductive Health CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference September 12, 2018
Responsible Fatherhood
Status of Fatherhood in the US
WHAT IS PRAMS FOR DADS? Survey to examine men’s health, attitudes, and experiences prior to and after becoming a father Collects comprehensive information about fathers before and after the birth of their child Links between paternal factors and pregnancy outcomes Builds on success of PRAMS methodology
OBJECTIVE To describe the development and implementation of PRAMS for Dads, a novel surveillance system designed to capture paternal health, behaviors, attitudes, and experiences during the perinatal period
Reaching Fathers 88% of fathers theoretically reachable* Married mothers (60% of births) Husband presumed to be father on birth record Unmarried mothers (40% of births) Must check paternal acknowledgment on birth certificate Voluntary acknowledgment of paternity (AOP/VAP) form filled out (70% completion) 88% of fathers theoretically reachable* * 60% + (40% x 70%)
FORMATIVE WORK Multi-pronged effort: Surveys with men enrolled in expectant fathers’ class and community-recruited fathers Focus groups with community-recruited fathers (and mothers) from federally qualified health centers
PILOT STUDY METHODOLOGY - 2 STUDY ARMS Moms as Gatekeepers Dad contacted through mom Mom expected to provide Dad with materials Required minimal edits to current cover letters – no dad-specific letter required Larger ‘family’ envelope includes both Mom and Dad messaging Direct to Dads Dad is contacted directly If Dad residential address = Mom mailing address, separate Mom and Dad envelopes are sent to the same address Required new cover letters and Dad-specific envelopes
PURPOSE OF PRAMS FOR DADS PILOT To assess the feasibility of implementation of a surveillance system for new fathers and determine the most effective methodological approach for reaching fathers To assess the number of fathers who opt to complete the online survey versus traditional mailed paper survey
PRAMS FOR DADS TEAM A Collaborative Partnership PI: Craig Garfield, MD, MAAP Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Pilot Site: Georgia Department of Public Health, PRAMS Team Technical Assistance: PRAMS for Dads Work Group, DRH, CDC
PRAMS FOR DADS MATERIALS All Dads have the option to complete survey online!
IMPLEMENTATION Follows PRAMS process Launch Date: October, 2018 Desired Sample Size: 550 dads Length of pilot: 5 to 6 batches All state BC sampled 100 fathers/month chosen Contact with fathers initiated 2-4 months postpartum Response rates / mode of response compared between approaches We’re excited to share that Georgia Department of Public Health, PRAMS team, and Northwestern are planning to officially launch PRAMS for Dads next month with the first set of pre-letters scheduled to be sent out to new fathers. Follows PRAMS process
CONCLUSIONS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS Continued implementation of PRAMS for Dads Pilot Assessment of which method is most effective for reaching new fathers Opportunity to assess paternal and maternal surveys together Can ultimately provide national and state level data on fathers and families in the perinatal period
New PRAMS Publications
THANK YOU! Northwestern University Georgia Department of Public Health Craig Garfield Clarissa Simon CDC Division of Reproductive Health Katherine Kortsmit Letitia Williams Ada Dieke Leslie Harrison Karen Pazol Brian Morrow Sheree Boulet Ghenet Besera Martha Kapaya Ruben Smith Wanda Barfield Violanda Grigorescu Georgia Department of Public Health Michael Bryan Florence Kanu Michele Mindlin Patricia Castro Kathy Ereshena Hannah Bolden Martha Ramsahai Petriona Seabrook Chris Harrison CDC NCHS Joyce Martin Anjani Chandra Amy Branum NAPHSIS Trish Potrzebowski (formerly)
Chief, Women’s Health and Fertility Branch Contact Information: Lee Warner, PhD, MPH Chief, Women’s Health and Fertility Branch Division of Reproductive Health, CDC dlw7@cdc.gov The findings and conclusions in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.