Ashley Odunuga
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Emily Dove-Medows
Research Mentor School/College/Department: School of Nursing / 0
Program:
Authors: Ashley Odunuga, Zoe Levin, Emily Dove-Medows
Session: Session 2: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Poster: 32
Abstract
In the United States, non-Hispanic Black women experience 3.1 times higher maternal mortality rates and 1.6 times higher preterm birth rates compared to non-Hispanic White women. One of the main contributing factors to these disproportionate rates is structural racism, physician’s implicit bias, and variations in the quality of healthcare administered to Black patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of communication-based racism between Black women and maternity care providers during prenatal care. Seventeen Black women were interviewed as a part of a mixed-methods study. They were asked about their prenatal care and personal experiences of racism during patient-provider communication at prenatal care visits. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed in order to identify common themes in their care. Despite reporting no experiences of racism, some participants were aware of the racism that occurs in prenatal care. Other participants discussed feeling victimized or uncomfortable due to actions, communication, or lack thereof by the provider that presented as covert or overt racism. This study deepens our understanding of patient-physician communication during prenatal care and how racism is experienced in this setting. Prenatal care providers may benefit from more training about expressions of racism during prenatal care.
