Data and Statistics
Public health surveillance is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data for use in public health practice. The public health approach to problem solving includes using surveillance data to identify problems and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Without accurate and timely data, public health programs suffer. This glossary is available of commonly used terms in public health surveillance and epidemiology.
CDC's Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) monitors maternal and infant mortality, the most serious reproductive health complications. In addition, attention is focused on gathering data to better understand the extent of maternal and infant morbidity, adverse behaviors during pregnancy, and long-term consequences of pregnancy.
The major surveillance systems in the division include the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), the National ART Surveillance System (NASS), and the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS). Reports are generated from these systems on a routine ongoing basis. DRH also monitors teen pregnancy and the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions in the United States. Point-in-time surveys are conducted to assess reproductive health in developing countries. DRH researchers sometimes analyze secondary data on such topics as ectopic pregnancy and hysterectomy.
Data and Statistics Reference Links
CPONDER
A
Web-based
analysis system providing state-level prevalence and trend data on
maternal and infant health indicators from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment
Monitoring System (PRAMS).
Data.gov
Data.gov increases the ability of the public to easily find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government. Data.gov provides descriptions of the federal datasets (metadata), information about how to access the datasets, and tools that leverage government datasets.
CDC WONDER
Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research—an easy-to-use, menu-driven system that makes the information resources of the CDC available to public health professionals and the public at large.
WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)
This is an interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data.
BRFSS
By the early 1980s, scientific research clearly showed that personal health behaviors played a major role in premature morbidity and mortality. Although national estimates of health risk behaviors among U.S. adult populations.
YRBSS
The YRBSS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults
PeriStats
PeriStats
was developed by the March of Dimes Perinatal
Data Center, PeriStats provides free access to federal, state, city, and
county maternal and infant health data.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) FastStats A to Z
Quick Resource Links
- Health, United States, 2011
- HIV/AIDS Statistics
- Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
- National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)
- National Vital Statistics System (NVSS)
- National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS)
- STD Prevention, Surveillance and Statistics
Abortion
Abortion Surveillance System FAQ's
Abortion Surveillance—United States, 2008
In 2008, 825,564 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. This represents essentially no change from the number of abortions reported in 2007. The abortion rate for 2008 was 16.0 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years. This also is unchanged from 2007. The abortion ratio was 234 abortions per 1,000 live births in 2008. This is a 1% increase from 2007. During 1999–2008, the reported abortion numbers, rates, and ratios decreased 3%, 4%, and 10%, respectively. During 1999–2008, women aged 20–29 years accounted for the majority of abortions. The majority (62.8%) of abortions in 2008 were performed at ≤8 weeks' gestation and 91.4% were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation;v14.6% of all abortions were medical abortions. Source: MMWR. 2011;60(No. 15).
Previous MMWR. Abortion Surveillance Reports
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1987–1986 |
1985–1984 |
1981 |
1980–1979
Abortions Distributed by State of Maternal Residence and State of Clinical Service.
[XLS - 68K] | [CSV - 11KB]
Assisted Reproductive Technology
NCHS FastStats
2009 Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rates: National Summary and Fertility Clinic Reports
The data for this national report comes from the 441 fertility clinics reporting in 2009 that provided and verified data on the outcomes of all ART cycles started at their clinics. The 146,244* ART cycles performed at these reporting clinics in 2009 resulted in 45,870 live births (deliveries of one or more living infants) and 60,190 infants. Data provided by U.S. fertility clinics that use ART to treat infertility is a rich source of information about the factors that contribute to a successful ART treatment—the delivery of a live-born infant.
*Excludes banking cycles and cycles in which a new treatment procedure was being evaluated.
2009 ART Clinic Data: Interactive Clinic Tables | Spreadsheet of Clinic Tables and Data Dictionary [XLS - 871KB] | 2009 ART Report [PDF - 12.95MB]
The ART data is also available on data.gov. This provides instant view and download of datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the federal government. Data.gov provides descriptions of the federal datasets (metadata), information about how to access the datasets, and tools that leverage government datasets.
Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance Summaries
2006 | 2005 |
2004 |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000
Hysterectomy
NCHS FastStats
Fact sheet: Hysterectomy in the United States,
2000–2004
In the United States, approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are
performed each year, and the procedure is the second most frequently
performed major surgical procedure among reproductive-aged women.
Infant Health
QuickStats: Percentage of Births That Were Home Births, by Maternal Race/Ethnicity —United States, 1990–2009
Source: MMWR. 2012;61(03):58.
Births: Final Data for 2009 [PDF - 1.3 MB]
Comprehensive report on births and maternal health based on 100% of birth certificates reported in all 50 states, DC and U.S. territories.
Preterm Births—United States, 2007
Source: MMWR. 2011;60(01):78–79.
QuickStats: Infant Mortality Rates, by Mother's Place of Birth and Race/Ethnicity—United States, 2007 Source: MMWR. 2011;60(26):891.
Infant Deaths— United States, 2000–2007
Source: MMWR. 2011;60(01);49–51.
NCHS Data Brief: Born a Bit Too Early: Recent Trends in Late Preterm Births
According to this report from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the percentage of babies born preterm in the U.S. has increased by more than 20% between 1990 and 2006. Most of this increase was among babies born toward the end of the preterm period, at 34 to 36 full weeks of pregnancy, or during the period known as “late preterm.”
International Reproductive Health Surveys
Reproductive health surveys collect data on maternal and infant health in developing countries.
Maternal Health and Pregnancy
Pregnancy-related Mortality in the United States
A pregnancy-related death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy termination regardless of the duration or site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes. CDC’s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System uses data from 52 U.S. reporting areas to identify and describe rates and causes of pregnancy-related death.
Seasonal Influenza and 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Pregnant Women—10 States, 2009–2010 Influenza Season. Source: MMWR. 2010;59(47):1541–1545.
Receipt of Influenza Vaccine During Pregnancy Among Women With Live Births—Georgia and Rhode Island, 2004–2007 Pregnant women are at increased risk for complications from influenza. Since 2004, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Obstetric Practice have recommended that all pregnant women be vaccinated with the trivalent inactivated vaccine during any trimester of pregnancy. Source: MMWR. 2009; 58(35):972–975.
Preconception and Interconception Health Status of Women Who Recently Gave Birth to a Live-Born Infant—Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), United States, 26 Reporting Areas, 2004 Source: MMWR. 2007;56(SS10):1–35.
QuickStats: Percentage of All Live Births by Cesarean Delivery—National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2005 Source: MMWR. 2007;56(15):373.3
Highlights of Trends in Pregnancies and Pregnancy Rates by Outcome:
Estimates for the United States, 1976–1996 [PDF - 348KB]
A report from the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention tracks the effects of changes in sexual
activity, marriage patterns, contraceptive use, attitudes and economic
and educational opportunities on pregnancies, and pregnancy rates.
Source: National Vital Statistics Reports. 2000;47(29):12.
Teen Pregnancy
NCHS FastStats
QuickStats: Birth Rates for Teens Aged 15–19 Years, by Age Group—National Vital Statistics System, United States, 1960–2010. Source: MMWR. 2012;61(18):330.
Prepregnancy Contraceptive Use Among Teens with Unintended Pregnancies Resulting in Live Births—Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2004–2008. Source: MMWR. 2012;61(02):25–29.
QuickStats: Percentage of Teens Aged 15–19 Years Who Had Opposite-Sex Sexual Partners in the Past 12 Months, by Number of Partners—United States, 2006–2010. Source: MMWR. 2011;60(42):1460.
Vital Signs: Teen Pregnancy—United States, 1991–2009
Source: MMWR. 2011;60:1–8.
QuickStats: Birth Rates for Teens Aged 15–19 Years, by State—United States, 2009. Source: MMWR. 2011;60(06):183.
State Disparities in Teenage Birth Rates in the United States
Source: Mathews TJ, Sutton PD, Hamilton BE, Ventura SJ. State Disparities in Teenage Birth Rates in the United States. NCHS data brief, no 46. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics;2010.
QuickStats: Never-Married Females and Males Aged 15–19 Years Who Have Ever Had Sexual Intercourse—National Survey of Family Growth, United States, 1988–2008 Source: MMWR. 2010;59(26):19.
Teen Birth Rates Rose Again in 2007, Declined in 2008.
National Vital Statistics System: Birth Data Source: National Vital Statistics Reports.
Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10–24 Years—United States, 2002–2007 [PDF - 1.44MB] Source: MMWR. 2009;58(SS-6).
QuickStats: Birth Rates for Teens Aged 15–19 Years, by Age Group—United States, 1985–2007 Source: MMWR. 2009; 58(12):313.
Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, 2002. [PDF - 710 KB] Series No. 23, Volume 24.
Estimated Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1990–2005: An Update (10/2009) [PDF – 1 MB] Source: National Vital Statistics Report. 2009;58(4).
Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance—United States 2007
Source: MMWR. 2008;57(SS-4):1–131.
Contraceptive use and Pregnancy Risk among US High School Students, 1991–2003 Source: Guttmacher Institute Perspectives of Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2006;8(2):106–111.
Trends in HIV- and STD-Related Risk Behaviors Among High School Students United States, 1991–2007 Source: MMWR. 57(30).
National Campaign to Prevent
Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy: State Data
National and state information, including data on teens and young
adults, trend data, demographic data, and unplanned pregnancy and birth
data.
Tobacco Use and Pregnancy
NCHS FastStats
Trends in Smoking Before, During, and After Pregnancy —Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), United States, 31 Sites, 2000–2005
For 16 sites for which data were available for the entire 6-year study period, the prevalence of smoking before pregnancy remained unchanged, with approximately one of five women (from 22.3% in 2000 to 21.5% in 2005) reporting smoking before pregnancy. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy declined from 15.2% in 2000 to 13.8% in 2005, and the prevalence of smoking after delivery declined from 18.1% in 2000 to 16.4% in 2005. Source: MMWR. 2009;58(SS04):1–29.
Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and
Productivity Losses —United States, 2000–2004.
During 2000–2004, smoking resulted in an estimated annual average of
269,655 deaths among males and 173,940 deaths among females in the
United States. Smoking during pregnancy resulted in an estimated 776
infant deaths annually during 2000—2004. Source: MMWR. 2008;57(45):1226–1228.
Smoking
Prevalence Among Women of Reproductive Age—United States, 2006.
CDC analyzed state-specific prevalence of smoking and attempts to quit
among women of reproductive age, using 2006 data from the Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Median state prevalence of
current smoking was 22.4% (range: 5.8% [U.S. Virgin Islands]—34.7%
[Kentucky]). Source: MMWR. 2008;57(31):849–852.
Monitoring Progress Toward Achieving Maternal and Infant Healthy People 2010 Objectives—19 States, Pregnancy Risk Assessment
Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2000–2003
In 2003, all 19 states
achieved or exceeded the HP 2010 objective for smoking cessation
during pregnancy, and 16 states achieved the HP 2010 objective for
abstinence from alcohol during the last 3 months of pregnancy.
Source: MMWR. 2006;55(SS09):1–11.
Annual Smoking-Attributable
Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses
United
States, 1997–2001
Smoking during pregnancy
resulted in an estimated 910 infant deaths annually during 1997–2001.
Source: MMWR. 2005; 54(25):625–628.
Smoking During Pregnancy—United States, 1990–2002
In 2002, smoking during pregnancy was reported by 11.4% of all women
giving birth in the United States, a decrease of 38% from 1990, when
18.4% reported smoking. From 1990 to 2002, all 44 states (and DC)
with comparable data for the entire observation period reported
significant declines in maternal smoking. Source: MMWR. 2004;53(39):911–915.
State Estimates of Neonatal Health-Care Costs Associated with
Maternal Smoking—United States, 1996
This report summarizes the results of an analysis, which estimated
smoking-attributable neonatal expenditures (SAEs) of $366 million in
the United States in 1996, or $704 per maternal smoker, and
indicated wide variations in SAEs among states. These costs are
preventable. States can use these data to justify or support their
prevention and cessation treatment strategies.
Source: MMWR. 2004;53(39):915–917.
Unintended Pregnancy
NCHS FastStats
Intended and Unintended Births in the United States: 1982–2010 [PDF - 416KB] Source: National Health Statistics Reports. 2012;55.
National Vital Statistics System: Birth Data Source: National Vital Statistics Reports.
Finer LB, Zolna MR. Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006. [PDF - 507KB] Source: Contraception. 2011;84(5):478–485.
QuickStats: Use of Selected Contraceptive Methods by Married Women of Childbearing Age in the United States, 2006—2008, Compared with Married Women in Selected Countries with Low Fertility Rates, 2000–2008. Source: MMWR. 2010;59(28):879.
QuickStats: Primary Contraceptive Method Used Among Women Aged 15–44 Years—National Survey of Family Growth, United States, 2006–2008. Source: MMWR. 2010;59(25):781.
Mosher WD, Jones J. Use of Contraception in the United States: 1982–2008. [PDF - 1.5 MB] Vital Health Stat. 2010;23(29).
Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10–24 Years—United States, 2002–2007. [PDF - 1.45MB] Source: MMWR. 2009;58(SS-6).
Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data From the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. [PDF - 4.8MB] National Vital Statistics System. 2005;23(25).
Estimated Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1990–2005: An Update. (10/2009) [PDF – 1 MB] Source: National Vital Statistics Report. 2009;58(4).
Santelli J, Lindberg L, Finer L, Rickert V, Bensyl D, Posner S, et al. Comparability of contraceptive prevalence etimates for women from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Public Health Reports. 2008;123(2):147–154.
Ahluwalia IB, Whitehead N, Bensyl D. Pregnancy intention and contraceptive use among adult women. Matern Child Health J. 2007;11(4):347–351.
Contraceptive Use—United States and Territories, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002.
In the United States, approximately half of all pregnancies are unintended. Contraceptive use is an important determinant of such pregnancies. To characterize contraceptive use in the United States and its territories, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), for the first time, asked both men and women about their birth-control use for the prevention of pregnancy during 2002. Source: MMWR. 2005;54(SS06):1–72.
Surgical Sterilization in the United States: Prevalence and Characteristics, 1965–1995
[PDF - 289KB]
This report presents national data on the prevalence of surgical sterilization from 1965 to 1995 among women aged 15–44 years of age. Data are shown by type of sterilizing operation and demographic characteristics of the women. For the 1994 survey data, reasons for the three most common sterilizing operations (tubal ligation, vasectomy, and hysterectomy) are shown, as well as the desire for reversal among those with potentially reversible operations. Source: National Vital and Health Statistics Series. 23/No.20.
Women's Reproductive Health
Women’s
Health USA 2010
This data book was developed by the Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to
provide readers with an easy-to-use collection
of current and historical data on some of the
most pressing health challenges facing women,
their families, and their communities. Women’s
Health USA 2010 is intended to be a concise
reference for policymakers and program managers
at the federal, state, and local levels to
identify and clarify issues affecting the health
of women.
Preconception and Interconception Health Status of Women Who Recently Gave Birth to a Live-Born Infant—Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), United States, 26 Reporting Areas, 2004 Source: MMWR. 2007;56(SS10):1–35.
QuickStats: Annual Rate of Visits to Office-Based Physicians and Hospital Outpatient
Departments During Which Combination Estrogen-Progestin Hormone Therapy
Was Prescribed for Women Aged >40 years, by Age Group—United States,
2001–2003
Source: MMWR. 2006,55(38):1047.
Women's Health and Mortality Chartbook
The Women’s Health and Mortality Chartbook is a statistical resource on women’s health in each of the states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chartbook was developed to provide readers with an easy-to-use collection of current jurisdiction data on critical issues of relevance to women. A total of 28 different health indicators are featured, which highlight some of the key issues related to women’s health that are being measured regularly at the state level.
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