ABSTRACT
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System-Zika Postpartum Emergency Response study, implemented in Puerto Rico during the Zika virus outbreak (2016-2017) and after Hurricanes Irma and María (2017-2018), collected pregnancy-related data using postpartum hospital-based surveys and telephone follow-up surveys. Response rates of 75% or more were observed across five study surveys. The study informed programs, increased the Puerto Rico Department of Health's capacity to conduct maternalâinfant health surveillance, and demonstrated the effectiveness of this methodology for collecting data during public health emergencies. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(4):574-578. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306687).
Subject(s)
Zika Virus Infection , Zika Virus , Emergencies , Female , Humans , Postpartum Period , Pregnancy , Public Health , Puerto Rico/epidemiology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Vitamins , Zika Virus Infection/epidemiologyABSTRACT
We examined pregnant women's use of personal protective measures to prevent mosquito bites during the 2016-2017 Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico. Healthcare provider counseling on recommended measures was associated with increased use of insect repellent among pregnant women but not with wearing protective clothing.
Subject(s)
Bites and Stings/prevention & control , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious , Zika Virus Infection , Adult , Disease Outbreaks , Female , Humans , Insect Repellents , Mosquito Vectors/virology , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control , Protective Clothing , Puerto Rico/epidemiology , Young Adult , Zika Virus , Zika Virus Infection/epidemiology , Zika Virus Infection/prevention & controlABSTRACT
We examined condom use throughout pregnancy during the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico during 2016. Overall, <25% of women reported consistent condom use during pregnancy. However, healthcare provider counseling was associated with a 3-fold increase in consistent use, reinforcing the value of provider counseling in Zika prevention efforts.
Subject(s)
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control , Zika Virus Infection/prevention & control , Zika Virus Infection/transmission , Zika Virus , Disease Outbreaks , Female , History, 21st Century , Humans , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/history , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/virology , Prevalence , Puerto Rico/epidemiology , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Zika Virus Infection/history , Zika Virus Infection/virologyABSTRACT
Zika virus infection during pregnancy remains a serious health threat in Puerto Rico. Infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly, brain abnormalities, and other severe birth defects (1). From January 1, 2016 through March 29, 2017, Puerto Rico reported approximately 3,300 pregnant women with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection (2). There is currently no vaccine or intervention to prevent the adverse effects of Zika virus infection during pregnancy; therefore, prevention has been the focus of public health activities, especially for pregnant women (3). CDC and the Puerto Rico Department of Health analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Zika Postpartum Emergency Response (PRAMS-ZPER) survey conducted from August through December 2016 among Puerto Rico residents with a live birth. Most women (98.1%) reported using at least one measure to avoid mosquitos in their home environment. However, only 45.8% of women reported wearing mosquito repellent daily, and 11.5% reported wearing pants and shirts with long sleeves daily. Approximately one third (38.5%) reported abstaining from sex or using condoms consistently throughout pregnancy. Overall, 76.9% of women reported having been tested for Zika virus by their health care provider during the first or second trimester of pregnancy. These results can be used to assess and refine Zika virus infection prevention messaging and interventions for pregnant women and to reinforce measures to promote prenatal testing for Zika.
Subject(s)
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control , Pregnant Women/psychology , Public Health Practice , Zika Virus Infection/prevention & control , Adult , Condoms/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Insect Repellents , Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data , Mosquito Control/statistics & numerical data , Pregnancy , Protective Clothing/statistics & numerical data , Puerto Rico , Risk Assessment , Sexual Abstinence/statistics & numerical data , Young AdultABSTRACT
This paper describes the restructuring of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a surveillance system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Division of Reproductive Health conducted for 25 years in collaboration with state and city health departments. With the ultimate goal to better inform health care providers, public health programs, and policy, changes were made to various aspects of PRAMS to enhance its capacity on assessing and monitoring public health interventions and clinical practices in addition to risk behaviors, disease prevalence, comorbidities, and service utilization. Specifically, the three key PRAMS changes identified as necessary and described in this paper are questionnaire revision, launching the web-based centralized PRAMS Integrated Data Collection System, and enhancing the access to PRAMS data through the web query system known as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PRAMS Online Data for Epidemiologic Research/PRAMStat. The seven action steps of Knowledge To Action cycle, an illustration of the implementation science process, that reflect the milestones necessary in bridging the knowledge-to-action gap were used as framework for each of these key changes.
