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DHHS DPH SCHS Branches and Programs Statistical Services PAS

SCHS: North Carolina Pregnancy Assessment System (PAS)

Overview

North Carolina PAS, the Pregnancy Assessment System, is an initiative to reduce infant mortality and low birth weight. PAS collects data on maternal attitudes and experiences prior to, during and immediately after pregnancy for a sample of North Carolina women. The sample data are analyzed in a way that allows findings to be applied to all North Carolina women who have recently had a baby. The data are then used to inform other intervention and prevention efforts in other areas and programs within the North Carolina Division of Public Health (DPH).

PAS Data Collection

  PAS Questionnaires

  PAS Methodology

The North Carolina PAS sample is drawn two to three months after the infant's date of birth. Women whose infant died after birth are included. Mothers' names are picked randomly from recent birth certificates. Participation in PAS is voluntary. Mailed questionnaires are the primary mode of response. Telephone interviewers call mothers who did not respond by mail. The sampling excludes the following birth certificates:

  1. Out-of-state births to residents,
  2. In-state births to non-residents,
  3. Birth certificates missing the mother's last name,
  4. Multiple gestations of 4 or more siblings, and
  5. Births to mothers 12 years old and younger.

Women having low birth weight babies are oversampled so that we can better understand risk factors associated with adverse birth outcomes.

  Data Analysis

The findings from PAS are carefully adjusted to ensure they reflect the experiences of mothers across North Carolina who recently gave birth. This adjustment process, called "weighting," balances the data to accurately represent the state's population, not just the women included in the study. Factors like a mother's age, race, education, marital status, timing of prenatal care, and whether she has other children are included. This approach ensures the results provide a clear and reliable picture of maternal and infant health across North Carolina.

Note: SCHS deals with statistical data on health and vital statistics of North Carolinians. We do not provide information or advice on medical diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis. Please refer such questions to your medical practitioner.

Frequently Asked Questions about PAS

How will PAS help improve the health of mothers and babies in North Carolina?

There are a number of ways PAS can help to improve the health of women and infants:

  • PAS provides data not available from other sources about pregnancy and the first few months after birth. Along with that from birth certificates, this information can be used to plan and review state maternal and infant health programs.
  • PAS provides the information necessary to monitor changes in maternal and child health indicators (e.g., unintended pregnancy, prenatal care, smoking, drinking, breastfeeding, infant health). These data are available to state health officials to use to improve the health of mothers and infants.
  • The PAS sample is chosen from all women who had a live birth recently, so findings can be reasonably applied to the state's entire population of women who have recently delivered a live-born infant.

How can PAS data be used?

The data from the North Carolina PAS project will be used to plan various types of programs across the state to support pregnant women and new mothers.

This data can be used to:

  • identify groups of women and infants at high risk for health problems,
  • monitor changes in health status, and
  • measure progress toward goals in improving the health of mothers and infants.

In addition, information is distributed to health departments, state legislators, professional societies and researchers.

Will my responses be kept private?

Yes! All answers are kept confidential to the extent permitted by North Carolina State law. All answers given on the questionnaires will be grouped together to give us information on North Carolina mothers of new babies. Your name will not be on any PAS reports.

Some of the questions do not seem related to health care – why are they asked?

Many things in a mother's life and pregnancy may affect her pregnancy. These questions try to get the best picture of the new mother’s health and things that happened to her during pregnancy.

How is someone chosen to participate in NC PAS?

Names are picked by chance, like in a lottery, from the state birth certificate registry. Only a small number of women are chosen to help us in this study.

If chosen, is it really important that I answer these questions?

Yes! Because of the small number of mothers picked, it is important to have everyone's answers. Every pregnancy is different. To get a better overall picture of the health of mothers and babies in North Carolina, we need each mother selected to answer the questions. From the information you give us, we may be able to improve the health care for women and children in North Carolina. We need to know what went right as well as what went wrong during your pregnancy. Your help is really important to the success of our program.

PAS Contact Information

For questions or more information about the Pregnancy Assessment System, please contact us at:

1-888-772-6711
Email

Last Modified: December 18, 2024