1. 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

2. Responsible Fatherhood

3. Status of Fatherhood in the US

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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%)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. PRAMS FOR DADS MATERIALS
All Dads have the option to complete survey online!

12. 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 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

13. 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

14. New PRAMS Publications

15. 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)

16. 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
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.