Health Experiences of African American Mothers, Wellness in the Postpartum Period and Beyond (HEAL): A Qualitative Study Applying a Critical Race Feminist Theoretical Framework

S. Michelle Ogunwole (), Habibat A. Oguntade, Kelly M. Bower, Lisa A. Cooper and Wendy L. Bennett
Additional contact information
S. Michelle Ogunwole: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Habibat A. Oguntade: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Kelly M. Bower: Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Lisa A. Cooper: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Wendy L. Bennett: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 13, 1-29

Abstract: The objective of this study is to explore the cultural, social, and historical factors that affect postpartum primary care utilization among Black women with cardiometabolic risk factors and to identify the needs, barriers, and facilitators that are associated with it. We conducted in-depth interviews of 18 Black women with one or more cardiometabolic complications (pre-pregnancy chronic hypertension, diabetes, obesity, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes) within one year of delivery. We recruited women from three early home-visiting programs in Baltimore, Maryland, between May 2020 and June 2021. We used Critical Race Feminism theory and a behavioral model for healthcare utilization as an analytical lens to develop a codebook and code interview transcripts. We identified and summarized emergent patterns and themes using textual and thematic analysis. We categorized our findings into six main themes: (1) The enduring influence of structural racism, (2) personally mediated racism in healthcare and beyond, (3) sociocultural beliefs about preventative healthcare, (4) barriers to postpartum care transitions, such as education and multidisciplinary communication, (5) facilitators of postpartum care transitions, such as patient–provider relationships and continuity of care, and (6) postpartum health and healthcare needs, such as mental health and social support. Critical race feminism provides a valuable lens for exploring drivers of postpartum primary care utilization while considering the intersectional experiences of Black women.

Keywords: maternal health; health disparities; racial disparities; postpartum care; primary care; Black women’s health; cardiometabolic risk factors; critical race feminism; intersectionality; health equity; healthcare utilization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/13/6283/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/13/6283/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:13:p:6283-:d:1185643

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().