Maternal and Child Health Commons^™

Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women Of Color In New York City: Biological And Systemic Impacts, Kaylin Peña

Pitzer Senior Theses

Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women of Color in New York City: Biological and Systemic Impacts

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore how racial health disparities, underrepresentation in gynecology, and socioeconomic barriers contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes among women of color in New York City. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines resources from medical anthropology and human biology, this research will examine the biological implications of chronic stress, specifically HPA axis dysregulation, and its role in maternal health outcomes. With the idea of intersectionality, as conceptualized by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the study analyzes the various effects of systemic inequities and social …

Oregon Doula Workforce Analysis, Aisha K Gilmore, Apoorva Somayazulu, Lindsay Dickey, Rosemelty Jimenez Medal

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Educating Nurses On Culturally Competent Intimate Partner Violence Care, Nicole Lee

Nursing | Senior Theses

Purpose

The purpose of this research proposal is to examine the impact of mandatory training for labor and delivery nurses on culturally sensitive care for pregnant women who have experienced intimate partner violence. It aims to address gaps in provider training by evaluating improvement in screening rates, enhanced confidence, and effective interventions.

Methods

This study will recruit nurses from different labor and delivery units from different hospitals. This study will use a pre-test and post-test design to assess the effectiveness of the training. The evaluation will measure the changes in knowledge, confidence, and screening practices before and after training.

Results …

Infant Health Equity In Oklahoma: A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Personal, Organizational, Environmental, And Policy Factors Contributing To Black Infant Mortality, Ayesha M. Lampkins

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Black women experience higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, including infant mortality. There is a gap in the literature on multilevel strategies to achieve infant health equity and engage Black women. This study is unique in that no others have looked at the views of Oklahoma Black women to inform and address infant health equity strategies and utilize these views to provide context to existing infant mortality data. The study research questions are: 1) What views on infant health equity and infant mortality are held by Black women in Oklahoma? 2) What differences exist between Black and White mothers in …

Investigating The Impact Of Phthalate Exposures From Personal Care Products On Uterine Fibroid Incidence And Prevalence In Us-Born Black Women, Ella Brissett

CMC Senior Theses

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors composed of smooth muscle cells and connective tissue that develop within or on the walls of the uterus. Despite being non-cancerous, they can severely affect quality of life by causing heavy bleeding, chronic pain, and reproductive complications. Fibroids are typically found in women of reproductive age, but they disproportionately affect Black women, who experience higher incidence and severity. The underlying causes of this disparity is poorly understood; however, an emerging body of research is highlighting the role of phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in many personal care products, in exacerbating fibroid development. Through a critical analysis …

Environmental And Behavioral Determinants Of Congenital Defects: An Ecologic Study In Kentucky, Amelia G. Floyd

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Congenital defects are a significant contributor to infant morbidity and mortality. The multifactorial etiology of such defects presents complex challenges for public health. This ecologic study investigates the association between environmental and behavioral exposures and congenital defects rates at the county level in Kentucky from 2010 to 2019. The Kentucky Department for Public Health, Office of Vital Statistics, provided all relevant defect data. County-level exposure data was collected from multiple sources.

Descriptive and geospatial analyses revealed substantial geographic variability, with notable high defect rates in northeastern Kentucky. Negative binomial regression models identified behavioral and socioeconomic factors to be the strongest …

Birthing While Black: The Color Of Care And Black Women’S Lived Experiences Giving Birth In The United States, Portia Cowlings

Theses and Dissertations

Black women in the United States face disproportionate maternal health outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Despite advancements in healthcare, the United States continues to report the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income developed nations, with Black women experiencing rates up to three times higher than their White counterparts. This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Black women in the United States to understand how they navigate the continuum of maternal healthcare, from preconception through postpartum. Guided by the social determinants of health (SDOH) theoretical framework, childbirth was examined through four interconnected …

Facilitated Group Care For Maternal And Child Health Model Fidelity: A Scoping Review, Ashley Gresh, Phoebe Parker, Anne Batchelder, Jalana Lazar, Christina X. Marea, Camilla Bjelland, Rohan D. Jeremiah, Giovanna Cristina Machado-Kayzuka, Hayden Geibel, Dhruvi R. Patel, Esnath Kapito, Kathleen F. Norr, Crystal L. Patil

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Group care is a transformative model of prenatal, postnatal, and well-child care. The Centering-based group care model has three core components: health care, interactive learning, and community building. It has been implemented in 33 countries with associated improved maternal and child health outcomes. Maintaining fidelity to the model is essential for its effectiveness. However, to date no standardised measure of fidelity to the group care model exists. This review aimed to explore how fidelity is measured in group care and identify common themes to understand what is essential to maintain fidelity. We used the scoping review framework by Arksey & …

Risk And Protective Factors For Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) In Low-Resource Communities In Kolkata India: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study Of Semi-Structured Interviews And Survey Data, Susan Samreth, Alexandra Leader, Jillian Kiely, Turja Chakrabarti, Rupa Kapoor

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and infant sleep practices are widely documented and studied in high-resource countries. Knowledge of SUID/SIDS occurrence, risk factors and protective factors in low or middle-resource countries such as India is lacking. This was an exploratory study using a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach to better understand infant sleep practices and the various factors that may influence them amongst caregivers in 5 low-income communities in Kolkata, India. Twenty-eight and 22 caregivers of infants < 12 months old were recruited using a convenience sampling approach to participate in semi-structured interviews (phase 1) and a survey (phase 2), respectively. This research was conducted in partnership with Pratit International, a locally based NGO dedicated to providing comprehensive health care to disenfranchised communities in Kolkata. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data found that infant caregivers frequently described risk factors (e.g., bedsharing, soft sleep surface, infant sleep position, objects in sleep area, environmental smoke exposure, low rates of pacifier use) and protective factors (e.g., breastfeeding, routine immunization/prenatal care, low rates of caregiver substance use) that have been associated with SIDS in high resource communities. Qualitative data revealed that certain caregivers' reasons for infant sleep position were rooted in cultural beliefs. Prenatal and postnatal sleep education given by a healthcare professional were limited and awareness of safer sleep advice in the community was low. These study findings suggest the need to provide safer sleep education resources in a culturally appropriate manner and can help guide future research on potential interventions such as the baby box.

The Effects Of Medical Misinformation About Vaccines On Parents Of Pediatric Patients, Mya Izabela B. Emelia

Nursing | Student Research Posters

No abstract provided.

Gambaran Kasus Gondongan Pada Sekolah Dasar Negeri 010 Makroman, Samarinda, Dwi Listiani, Ashri Budi Astuti, Jami'an Jami'an, Eko Prasetya Budi, Arif Sumarianto, Irfansyah Baharuddin Pakki

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Mumps is an infectious disease caused by a viral infection, often attacking the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands. This disease is self-limiting and common in elementary school children. This study aims to describe the prevalence, symptoms, and impact of mumps in students of SD Negeri 010 Makroman, Samarinda, as well as evaluate risk factors and relevant prevention efforts. With a descriptive research design, data was obtained from a population of 307 students through secondary data from the Makroman Health Center and direct on-site investigations. An attack rate of 3.58% indicates a limited impact on at-risk populations, but it is …

Barriers To Postpartum Depression Treatment: Availability And Accessibility Of Maternal Behavioral Health-Inclusive Support Groups For Low-Income Populations, Radhika S. Venkatesan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The maternal health crisis is a prevalent and concerning issue in the United States. The lack of efficient availability and accessibility to health care services plays a significant role in augmenting this problem. One health care service that is often understudied is support groups, for prevalent issues like postpartum depression. Considering the socioeconomic burdens of low-income mothers, this paper analyzed the accessibility and availability of maternal health support groups across counties in Florida, with varying amounts of individuals below the federal poverty level (%BPL). Essentially, Florida counties were divided into one of four categories depending on their %BPL. A Fisher’s …

'I Did Not Know We Could Exercise This Small Premature Baby': Challenges Experienced By Parents While Implementing Early Intervention For Their Preterm Infants-A Qualitative Perspective, Manasa Kolibylu Raghupathy, Selim Jahangir, Sonia Khurana, Leslie Edward S. Lewis, Bhamini Krishna Rao

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Preterm birth is a highly stressful experience for both parents and infants. Parental participation in care enhances developmental outcomes, fosters parent-infant interactions and builds parental confidence. However, low parental adherence has always been a challenge in the successful implementation of intervention programs both in the NICU and at home. It is imperative to understand parents' perspectives and view the challenges that they experience through their lens while providing early intervention to their infants born preterm. This study is aimed at identifying new parents' challenges when implementing early intervention programs for their infants during the transition from hospital to home. …

London's Murderous Mothers: How Charitable And Medical Advancement Influenced Infanticide Indictments During The Long 18th Century, Brandon Gamman

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Challenges And Opportunities Of Universal Health Coverage In Africa: A Scoping Review, Evaline Chepchirchir Langat, Paul Ward, Hailay Gesesew, Lillian Mwanri

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background: Universal health coverage (UHC) is a global priority, with the goal of ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship. In Africa, most governments have prioritized UHC over the last two decades. Despite this, the transition to UHC in Africa is seen to be sluggish, with certain countries facing inertia. This study sought to examine the progress of UHC-focused health reform implementation in Africa, investigating the approaches utilized, the challenges faced, and potential solutions.

Method: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, we scoped the literature …

Disparities In Maternal Healthcare: Examining The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Provider Care Quality, Rishita Anumukonda

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Poor maternal health outcomes among racially and socioeconomically marginalized populations are a major public health concern in the United States. Effective clinician discussions during prenatal and postpartum care play an essential role in promoting maternal and infant well-being. However, the content of provider-patient discussions in maternal care and how it varies for patients exposed to different social determinants of health has not yet been well explored. This study aims to examine whether healthcare provider discussions about key maternal health topics, including preventative health tips, risk factors, and available resources, differ based on social factors such as income level and race. …

Quality Over Quantity: Doula Perspectives On Equity, Access, And Quality Of Care In Black Maternal Health Outcomes, Terry-Ann E. Lynch

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Black maternal mortality in the United States is a public health crisis. There are a plethora of reasons as to why maternal and fetal deaths disproportionately impact Black women. From a public health perspective, health disparities are an area of concern in marginalized communities, with Black maternal mortality being a risk factor. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black (subsequently, Black) women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic White (subsequently, White) women (26.6)” Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021” …

Approval Of Parent-Child Aggression As A Mediator Of Intergenerational Child Abuse Risk: An Evaluation Of Racial Differences, Casie H. Morgan, Christina M. Rodriguez, Doris F. Pu, Zoe O. Elkins

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose

Personal history of parent-child aggression (PCA) can predict future parenting behavior, but some effects may differ between racial groups. Black parents in the U.S. are more likely to encounter discrimination and personally experience and approve of PCA, which may account for previously reported group differences. This study examined whether personal PCA history predicted later parental child abuse risk mediated by PCA approval across the transition to parenthood, and whether effects differed by race.

Methods

Expectant parents (non-Hispanic White sample: 95 mothers with 86 fathers; Black sample: 94 mothers with 85 fathers) participated in a prospective longitudinal study, assessed prenatally …

A Multilevel Framework For The Promotion Of Maternal Mental Health And Well-Being During The Perinatal Period, Jenn A. Leiferman, Jessica Walls Wilson, Charlotte V. Farewell, Chelsea Walker-Mao, James F. Paulson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Depression and anxiety are prevalent in the perinatal period and may contribute to adverse maternal and child health outcomes. A focus on multilevel protective factors may be effective in promoting well-being and increasing quality of life (QOL) in the perinatal period while simultaneously reducing or preventing depression and anxiety symptoms. We tested a conceptual model that posits specific personal, social, and community factors affecting depression, anxiety, and QOL among pregnant and postpartum individuals.

Methods: Four hundred and thirty-eight pregnant or postpartum individuals completed a 121-item cross-sectional survey composed of validated tools that assessed multilevel protective factors, health behaviors, and …

Evaluating Impacts Of The Trichloroethylene Metabolite S-(1,2-Dichlorovyinyl)-L-Cysteine On Transcriptomic Responses And Cytokine Release In A Macrophage Model: Implications For Pregnancy Outcomes, Annella Benjamin, Erica Boldenow, Sammy Jaber, Kelly M. Bakulski, John Dou, Justin Colacino, Peter Mancuso, Sean Harris

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile synthetic chemical used in various industrial processes like metal degreasing. Large amounts of TCE have been released into the environment. Exposure to TCE can occur through routes, such as inhalation for workers using TCE or ingestion of drinking water in contaminated areas. Macrophages are key immune cells in virtually all tissues in the human body, including the fetal membranes, making them a plausible target for DCVC-induced immunotoxicity. Macrophages are critical for maintaining anti-microbial defenses during pregnancy, but little data exists on TCE immunotoxicity during pregnancy. We previously showed that the TCE metabolite, S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC), …