When I was asked to write something about underutilized maternal and child health (MCH) data sources, I was pretty excited! Finally! An opportunity to share all the great data, analytic techniques, research findings, and insights with other people who also are really excited about data! But . . . I need to do it in 1200 words or less? Are you kidding? What about all my tables, figures, and graphs? And, I have to talk about all the data sources and data in a story format? Where’s Andy Goodman, my storytelling guru, when you need him?As you can see from the title of the article, I wanted to focus on underutilized MCH data sources, but as you can guess, there is not enough space to talk about or show all the underutilized data. Rather, we can talk about the factors that lead to underutilization and how to make better use of the data. The good news is that in the past three years, there have been some significant changes pertaining to MCH data:1) Greater availability and accessibility to ‘surveillance system’ data, 2) Better web-based applications,3) New indicators for measuring health conditions and determinants of health, and 4) More local level data.And, even better news, you know someone (me) who can help you access the data sources and find the resources to help you use the data. I hope you find the following information useful and invite you to call or email me with your questions and comments…just be ready to talk data!Greater availability and accessibility to ‘surveillance system’ dataWe are a society of data hoarders – not just mere collectors – hoarders. However, as hoarders, we tend to be poor at sharing and linking data, widely publicizing and disseminating data, and ensuring the use and translation of all of our data. Too often, we analyze and use only those portions of the data critical to the immediate issue. In public health, particularly in local health departments, research-oriented work and exploratory analyses give way to the more mundane descriptive analyses and analytic tasks necessary to ‘the job.’ And, we lose sight of the wealth of MCH data that is now available and accessible to the public (Table 1). In Table 1, I have listed the more common, yet still underutilized surveillance systems . . . particularly by local public health . . . along with some characteristics of the surveys. Now, it is true that there are specific types of data that may not be collected for certain populations or at the level of the population in which you have particular interest, but many times the barrier is knowledge of existence and access to the data source as well as the specific variables or content of the data source. I encourage you to become familiar with all of these surveillance systems as they often contain similar variables useful for more fully describing a population of interest or snapshots of the same health conditions in different population stages. Additionally, many of these surveillance systems have incorporated Vol. 19 April 2011No. 2Underutilized MCH Data SourcesBy Laurin Kasehagen, MA, PhDWhat’s InsideData Translation and Disseminationcontinued on page 4Laurin is the Senior MCH Epidemiologist and CDC Assignee to CityMatCH. She serves as the lead scientist for the organization, providing technical assistance to develop the scientific foundation for CityMatCH products and projects. Kasehagen uses surveillance data and analysis of epidemiologic information which helps determine priorities for investment of CityMatCH’s resources and improves the effectiveness of such investments.2Key Monitoring Systems Provide Critical Data7Using Data to Address Health Disparities12CityMatCH News15Page 2CityMatCHApril 2011In this story, CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) shares their mission, key issues they focus on to address the mission, and how the effective use of epidemiologists, particularly senior-level MCH epidemiologists who are assigned from the Division’s MCH Epidemiology Program (MCHEP) to states, regions, tribes and agencies, helps to build capacity and increase infrastructure. Examples are used to highlight the scientific process and demonstrate how CDC is able to provide MCH epidemiologists the support needed to achieve data translation and dissemination to a broad variety of audiences. Over the years, CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health has been both funder and partner with CityMatCH on “science to action” programs and services. CityMatCH has also directly benefited from MCHEP with the placement of Laurin Kasehagen, MA, PhD (Her story on Underutilized Data Sources is seen on the cover of this edition).At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), is located the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH). The mission of DRH is to promote optimal reproductive, maternal, and infant health and quality of life by influencing public policy, health care practice, community practices, and individual behaviors through scientific and programmatic expertise, leadership, and support. To address this mission, DRH focuses on issues such as contraceptive safety, women’s health, and infertility and assisted reproductive technology; MCH issues including infant and maternal morbidity and mortality; and, how best to apply science to practice. Four programs within the Division target the practical application of epidemiology to the MCH population. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) program monitors a surveillance system developed to better understand maternal experiences and behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy; the Adolescent Reproductive Health Program focuses on the national effort to reduce unintended and teen pregnancy; the Research and Evaluation Program conducts applied research to strengthen the linkage between reproductive health and chronic disease; and the MCH Epidemiology Program (MCHEP) builds capacity and increases infrastructure in MCH epidemiology in states, tribes, localities, and territories. In order to effectively build capacity in MCH epidemiology, the MCHEP assigns senior-level MCH epidemiologists to states, regions, tribes, and agencies. Areas of focus for the MCHEP include developing leaders in MCH epidemiology, providing training and mentoring to MCH professionals, supporting peer-exchange opportunities, partnering with national, state, tribal, local,