Use of monetary and nonmonetary incentives to increase response rates among African Americans in the Wisconsin Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

From 2009 to 2010, an experiment was conducted to increase response rates among African American mothers in the Wisconsin Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Sample members were randomly assigned to groups that received a prepaid, cash incentive of $5 (n = 219); a coupon for diapers valued at $6 (n = 210); or no incentive (n = 209). Incentives were included with the questionnaire, which was mailed to respondents.

Pregnancy-associated deaths and pregnancy-related deaths in Wisconsin, 1998-2001.

Background: Although the risk of dying during childbirth or from complications afterward has been greatly reduced during the past 100 years, the current rate of approximately 1 death in 10,000 live births is still too high. The goal of the US Department of Health and Human Services is to reduce this rate by more than half by the year 2010.

Objective: To present Wisconsin data regarding pregnancy-associated deaths and pregnancy-related deaths.

Trends in maternal and child health outcomes: where does Wisconsin rank in the national context?

Background: The infant mortality rate (IMR), low birth weight (LBW) rate, and first trimester entry into prenatal care (PNC) are indicators that reflect the health of a population.

Objective: To examine these indicators in Wisconsin from 1979 through 2001 and compare them to those of the United States, looking at trends and relative rank compared with other states.

Methods: Three-year averages for IMR, LBW, and PNC were analyzed for the periods 1979-1981, 1984-1986, 1989-1991, 1994-1996, and 1999-2001 from data sources published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Forward for women's health: the state of women's health in Wisconsin.

Because of the magnitude of women's health issues within the larger context of public health and healthcare systems, this paper was written to help define the current status of women's health in Wisconsin. Utilizing critical women's health areas identified by the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, 16 specific measures of women's health were chosen for this analysis. The most recent data available for each measure were collected with Wisconsin data being compared to national averages as well as to Healthy People 2010: Objectives for Improving Health targets.