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Community Perspectives On The Creation Of A Hospital-Based Doula Program, Laura B. Attanasio, Marisa Decosta, Reva Kleppel, Tiki Govantes, Heather Z. Sankey, Sarah L. Goff

Health Promotion and Policy Faculty Publication Series

Objective: Racial and ethnic inequities in perinatal health outcomes are pervasive. Doula support is an evidence-based practice for improving maternal outcomes. However, women in lower-income populations often do not have access to doulas. This study explored community perspectives on doula care to inform the development of a hospital-based doula program to serve primarily low-income women of color.

Methods: Four focus groups and four individual interviews were conducted with: (1) women who were pregnant or parenting a child under age 2 (n=20); (2) people who had provided support during a birth in the previous 2 years (n=5); …