Maternal mortality in the United States is higher than in peer nations and has not decreased since 1990. Beyond mortality, severe maternal mortality impacts far too many women. Not only are these high rates alarming, but notable racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist. These inequities are highly regional, with women living in the rural southeast part of the United States, including the Mississippi Delta, having the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. Unfortunately, these disparities have proven to be stubbornly resistant to interventions, necessitating an innovative multifaceted approach focused on community practice, building trust, and prioritizing patient voices. To meet this need, this proposal aims to establish the Mississippi Delta Research Center of Excellence for Maternal Health with the goal of addressing preventable maternal mortality, decreasing severe maternal morbidity, and promoting maternal health equity in partnership with the Mississippi Delta community. This patient-clinical linkages intervention study will evaluate the effectiveness of a multilevel and multisector communication and health literacy strategy to increase trust and engagement in postpartum healthcare among women in the Mississippi Delta, with a specific focus on Black women, their families, and their communities. These research projects both have the overarching goal of partnering with the community to determine and meet the needs of pregnant and postpartum women in the Mississippi Delta and address the disparities within maternity health and health care outcomes.
Age range
18 Years – 45 Years
Sex
FEMALE
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A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Improve trust in the healthcare system
Timeframe: 12 months from consent to participate
Increase maternal health literacy (patient and provider perspectives)
Timeframe: 12 months from consent to participate in the intervention
Increase engagement in the maternal health care system (patient-clinic linkages)
Timeframe: 12 month from consent to participation in the intervention
Strengthen structuring of family support systems
Timeframe: 12 months from consent to participation in the intervention