Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM)

August 3–8, Portland, Oregon

**Pictured above**: Sueny Paloma Lima Dos Santos at JSM 2024.

Attendees: Graduate Research Assistant Sueny Paloma Lima Dos Santos

Overview: The Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) is one of the largest annual gatherings of statisticians from around the world, encompassing a diverse range of topics in statistics, biostatistics and data science. The conference offers an opportunity for networking, professional development and exposure to the latest research and innovations in the field. This year’s event in Portland included workshops, presentations and discussions focused on methodological advancements and their applications across various domains, including health, education and policy.

Main takeaways and highlights: At the Joint Statistical Meetings, Lima Dos Santos actively networked with leading professionals and researchers in the fields of statistics and biostatistics, expanding her professional connections and exploring potential collaborations. She also participated in a bootcamp focused on reproducible research where she enhanced my skills in R, Git, GitHub, Quarto and Markdown to create transparent and reproducible scientific workflows. Additionally, Lima Dos Santos gained valuable insights into the latest methodological advancements and their applications, particularly in maternal and child health, which are directly relevant to her current research.

Presentation:

New Prenatal Care Index: Statistical Explorations into Birth Outcomes by Race and Ethnicity

Lima Dos Santos discussed the development and validation of the Comprehensive Prenatal Care Index (CPCI) to better assess the quality of prenatal care and its impact on birth outcomes, addressing significant public health concerns such as preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA) in the United States. Utilizing data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) between 2016 and 2021, the CPCI was created through a comprehensive literature review and incorporated key elements of prenatal counseling and health promotion, including timing, frequency, and content of prenatal visits. The study validated the CPCI using Item Response Theory (IRT), demonstrating strong internal consistency and the ability to capture variability in the quality of prenatal care.