Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

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This paper is a critique of a secondary data analysis using information from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The purpose of this study was to calculate the percentage of gestational diabetes cases that can be linked to overweight and obese prepregnancy weights. The researchers concluded that almost half of gestational diabetes cases can be prevented if the risk of developing GDM is the same for obese and normal weighted women. Since PRAMS only provides data from participating states, and the study only used seven of those states, the study has a weak external validity. In addition, the prepregnancy weights recorded in PRAMS are self reported, which often leads to women underreporting their weights. In turn, this underestimates …show more content…

It has been associated with a variety of maternal, fetal, and infant complications and is a potential precursor to type 2 diabetes. A recent study conducted in Germany has found an association between a mother’s gestational diabetes and her child’s neurological development (Linder et al., 2015). The article “Percentage of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Attributable to Overweight and Obesity” explores the relationship between weight and GDM in order to see if managing a pregnant woman’s weight can decrease her chances of GDM. Shin Y. Kim, one of the authors, recognizes the importance of researching GDM in order to help prevent the negative consequences. She has conducted many studies regarding the relationship between GDM and maternal obesity, ethnicity, and age. In this article, the authors specifically calculate the percentage of GDM cases related to overweight and obesity before a pregnancy. They conduct this study through a secondary data analysis, using data collected by the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a population based surveillance conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study finds that almost half of GDM cases could be prevented if overweight and obese women had the same risk of GDM as other women. Despite its merit, the study lacks external validity, could improve its methodology, and does not contribute greatly to the existing knowledge regarding