AUTHOR=Sealy-Jefferson Shawnita 

TITLE=Injustices in Black Maternal Health: A Call for Different Research Questions, Orientations, and Methodologies

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.860850

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.860850

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Abstract
For decades, Black mothers have been most likely to suffer the worst outcomes of pregnancy, including death. Even though traditional individual level risk factors do not explain racial inequities in maternal morbidity, most studies identify Black race as a predictor, instead of the experiences ways in which our society is structured around of racism that increase risk of poormakes Black mothers vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. As an example, the U.S is exceptional  in incarcerating its residents, and Black men are six times and Black women are three times more likely than their white counterparts to be incarcerated. Relatedly, violent death caused by homicides disproportionately impacts Black communities, such that is the leading cause of death for males and females aged 10-34 years. Estimates suggest that more than 50% of urban residents know more than 10 murder victims, and approximately 200 people are affected by each neighborhood murder. Recent research has begun to shed light on the impacts of stressful neighborhood social conditions on risk of the adverse birth outcomes among AA Black mothers however, few studies have quantified the impact of macro-social neighborhood factors like violent death exposures and mass incarceration on Black maternal health morbidity among Black women and birthing people. Leveraging relevant theoretical frameworks into in the design and conduct of research on neighborhood effects on maternal health, that isand with affected communities co-created creating and co- leading by affected communitiesthe work is warranted if we are to address the longstanding racial inequities in maternal health.