MIHA Participants

Each year the MIHA survey is sent to a small number of people across California who recently had a live birth. If you were invited to do the MIHA survey, you can complete it online or by calling our interviewers at
(888) 614-0569. Answers to your questions or the MIHA resource list are available below. 

FAQs About the MIHA Survey

• What is MIHA?
• Who sponsors this survey?
• Who is selected for the survey? Where did you get my name?
• Did MIHA text or call me?
• How do I know this is not a scam?
• Why are MIHA mailing addresses not in California?
• Will my survey answers really make a difference?
• How can I help?
• Is this survey available in Spanish or other languages?
• What kind of information does MIHA collect? Some of the questions do not seem to be about health care - why are they asked?
• What if I no longer live in California?
• What if I don't know my secure code?
• Will my answers be kept private?
• How is my information protected?
• Is it safe to enter my information in the web survey?
• Can you provide a list of programs and services for mothers and babies?
• Who should I contact if I have any questions?
• Where can I see prior findings from this study?

What is MIHA?

Each year since 1999, the Maternal and Infant Health Assessment, or MIHA, survey has been sent to a small number of people across California who recently had a live birth. MIHA includes questions about experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy, and questions about their new baby. Data from MIHA are used to improve the health of California's birthing population, and to guide the development of health programs for California families. MIHA is a collaborative effort of the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division and the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Health Equity, in partnership with SSRS.

Who sponsors this survey?

MIHA is a partnership between the California Department of Public Health's Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division and the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Health Equity.

UCSF has partnered with SSRS, a full-service research company located in Pennsylvania, to collect the data.

Who is selected for the survey? Where did you get my name?

If you have recently given birth, your name may be picked by chance, like a lottery, from the state birth certificate registry. If you are chosen, you will receive an invitation to do the MIHA survey online, by mail, or by text. You may be contacted by an interviewer to do the survey over the phone. Because you are one of a small number of people who were randomly chosen to participate, your answers are very important, and no one can take your place.

Did MIHA text or call me?

If you were selected to participate in MIHA, you might get a text message or phone call. The phone call will be from the San Francisco area code (415). You will see UCSF HEALTH on your caller ID.

How do I know this is not a scam?

MIHA is a legitimate California statewide survey conducted through a partnership between the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). UCSF partners with SSRS, a research company located in Pennsylvania, to contact people selected for the survey and collect their responses. MIHA is reviewed and approved annually by the California Health and Human Services Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, an independent body that ensures the ethical conduct of research. Learn more about MIHA.

If you received a MIHA invitation by mail, email, text, or phone and would like to confirm that it is legitimate before participating, you can contact the MIHA team at info@mihaforca.org. You can also call us at the phone number listed on this website.

Why are MIHA mailing addresses not in California?

MIHA paper questionnaire return envelopes are addressed to Minnesota (MN), where the MIHA questionnaire processing center is located.

The MIHA return address is: PO Box 5003, Concordville, PA 19331-5003, where the SSRS offices are located.

Will my survey answers really make a difference?

Yes! Only a small number of people will receive the survey each year. Each pregnancy is different and there's a lot we don't know about what affects health during pregnancy. To get a better overall picture of the health and well-being of California families, it is important that every person who receives the survey completes it. Your experiences are unique, so your answers may help improve the health of families in California in the future.

How can I help?

If you were selected, you can complete the survey in one of three ways:

1. You can respond to the survey online.
2. You can respond to the survey over the telephone with one of our interviewers. If your baby was born in 2025, call us at 1-888-614-0569. If your baby was born in 2026, call us at 1-888-650-2649.
3. You can fill out the paper survey that you have or will receive in the mail.

In appreciation for your time, we offer a gift card to each participant who completes the survey. Your participation in this survey is voluntary.

Is this survey available in Spanish or other languages?

Yes, the survey is available in English and Spanish. You can answer the survey in Spanish online or on paper. If you prefer to complete it over the phone with one of our Spanish-speaking interviewers, you may call us at one of the following phone numbers:

• If your baby was born in 2025, call us at 1-888-614-0569
• If your baby was born in 2026, call us at 1-888-650-2649

Currently, the MIHA survey is available in English and Spanish only. We apologize that we are not able to offer the survey in additional languages at this time. We hope to make the survey available in more languages in the future.

What kind of information does MIHA collect? Some of the questions do not seem to be about health care – why are they asked?

The MIHA survey asks participants about their experiences before, during, and after their pregnancies that might affect their health and the health of their babies. Many different things in a person's life can have this kind of impact even some things that don't seem to be directly related to pregnancy and birth. Even events that happened before pregnancy can sometimes affect a pregnancy and the baby's health. The MIHA questions are designed to gather information about the many aspects of a person's life that can affect their health and the health of their baby.

What if I no longer live in California?

If you received an invitation to complete the MIHA survey, you are still eligible to participate even if you no longer live in California. MIHA collects information about births that occurred in California, so moving out of state does not affect your eligibility to complete the survey.

What if I don't know my secure code?

If you can't find your secure code, you can still take the survey. Please use your phone camera to scan your personalized QR code found in the letters, postcards, or survey packet we sent you. You can also email us at info@mihaforca.org or call for assistance. 

• If your baby was born in 2025, call us at 1-888-614-0569.​
  
• If your baby was born in 2026, call us at 1-888-650-2649.

Will my answers be kept private?

Yes. Your name and contact information are used by our research team only to contact you. We will not connect them to your survey answers. We group together answers from all survey participants to understand health of California families overall. Information that identifies you will not be shared. We do not ask about immigration status. Protecting your personal information is our highest priority.

How is my information protected?

All data are encrypted and secure at all times. The website for collecting your survey responses is secure. Your data are encrypted during data collection and when stored on secure MIHA study servers.

Is it safe to enter my information in the web survey?

Yes. MIHA uses secure online survey software to collect and protect your information. Your data are encrypted while you fill out the survey and remain encrypted when stored on the secure MIHA study servers.

Can you provide a list of programs and services for mothers and babies?

Yes, we have a list of resources available here or you can find the MIHA Resource List on this page.

Who should I contact if I have any questions?

If you have any questions, please email us at info@mihaforca.org. You may call us at one of the following phone numbers:

• If your baby was born in 2025, call us at 1-888-614-0569
• If your baby was born in 2026, call us at 1-888-650-2649

For information on your rights as a research participant, please call the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at (916) 651-5599.

Where can I see prior findings from this study?

You can explore findings from previous years on the MIHA Data and Reports page or on the MIHA Data Snapshots Dashboard.

To keep current with the study, you can join the MIHA email list.

Resource List

• English
  
• Spanish