Volume 3
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Issue 2

Improving African American Maternal Health

By:
Kwasheba
Harriott
Improving African American Maternal Health Abstract Background: The maternal health of African American mothers in the United States is in crisis, with a long history of racial disparities as a major contributing factor. African American mothers are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts and women from all other ethnic categories. In 2022, the maternal mortality rate for African American women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 19 deaths per 100,00 live births for Caucasian women. Despite overall improvements in maternal health outcomes, African American mothers continue to experience inadequate prenatal care, continuous stress, and poor socioeconomic conditions. These challenges are a direct result of systemic barriers leading to adverse maternal and birth outcomes. Main objective: To describe the social determinants contributing to the poor maternal health outcome for African American mothers. Methods: A novel qualitative study surveyed 21 African American mothers at a maternal health facility, exploring their maternal health journeys and attempting to understand the link between their experiences and poor maternal health outcomes. Key findings: (1) Lack of confidence in prenatal care; (2) Lack of communication; (3) Reservation participating in research due to historic cultural mistrust; (4) Lack of confidence in medical team. Conclusion The findings underscore the need for additional research with a larger participant pool to further explore the impact on maternal health. To address this crisis, it is imperative that future research incorporates the lived experiences and personal stories of African American mothers to inform more effective interventions and improve outcomes.
Published:
August 1, 2024
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