Health Risk Behaviors that Influence Outcomes for Black Mothers

Discussion posts must be a minimum of 350 words initial, references must be cited in APA format 7th Edition, and must include a minimum of 2 scholarly resources published within the past 3 years.

Questions:

• Analyze Black maternal, child, and infant morbidity and mortality in the United States highlighting the root causes of poor outcomes.
• Explain the political social, economic, environmental, health risk behaviors that influence outcomes for Black mothers, Black birthing people, and children resulting in the social determinants of life.

Discussion: Black Maternal, Child, and Infant Morbidity and Mortality in the U.S.

Black maternal, child, and infant morbidity and mortality in the United States remain alarmingly high despite medical advancements. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women (CDC, 2023). Likewise, Black infants have more than twice the mortality rate of white infants, often due to preventable causes such as preterm birth and low birth weight (Taylor et al., 2022). These disparities are not rooted in biological differences but are deeply entrenched in social, economic, and political systems that perpetuate inequality.

Root Causes and Structural Inequities

The root causes of poor outcomes are embedded in structural racism and systemic discrimination. Centuries of marginalization have contributed to a legacy of inadequate access to healthcare, food insecurity, poor housing conditions, and educational disparities, all of which influence maternal and child health outcomes (Howell, 2021). Medical racism also plays a critical role; Black women’s concerns during pregnancy and childbirth are often dismissed or minimized, leading to delays in treatment or misdiagnosis (Obasogie et al., 2023).

Social Determinants of Life and Health Risk Behaviors

Social determinants of health—conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age—play a central role in these disparities. For Black mothers and birthing people, these include limited access to quality prenatal care, neighborhood violence, environmental hazards, unemployment, and chronic stress related to racism and discrimination. Economic inequality further exacerbates these issues, with Black families more likely to live in poverty and experience housing and food instability (Taylor et al., 2022).

Environmental exposures, such as proximity to industrial sites and poor air quality, disproportionately affect Black communities and increase risks of preterm labor and other complications. In addition, stress from racism and microaggressions can trigger physiological responses that affect pregnancy outcomes, a concept known as “weathering” (Geronimus et al., 2020).

Conclusion

Improving outcomes for Black mothers and children requires dismantling systemic racism and addressing the broader social determinants of health. Solutions must include policy reform, community-based interventions, and culturally competent care that acknowledges and respects the lived experiences of Black families.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Racial and ethnic disparities continue in pregnancy-related deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0919-pregnancy-deaths.html

Geronimus, A. T., James, S. A., Destin, M., Graham, L. F., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Murphy, M. C., … & Thompson, J. P. (2020). Weathering in health: Stress and the body’s physiological response across racialized contexts. American Journal of Public Health, 110(5), 642-649. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305460

Howell, E. A. (2021). Reducing disparities in severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 64(2), 338-351. https://doi.org/10.1097/GRF.0000000000000603

Obasogie, O. K., Sankaran, D., & Moses, L. (2023). Dismantling systemic racism in maternal health care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 388(5), 389-391. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2213803

Taylor, J., Novoa, C., Hamm, K., & Phadke, S. (2022). Eliminating racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/eliminating-racial-disparities-maternal-infant-mortality/

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