Recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women in "The South": A position paper from the SNRS minority health research interest & implementation group

• Published in: Research in nursing & health Vol. 46; no. 5; pp. 457 - 461
• Main Authors: Eapen, Doncy, Mbango, Catherine, Daniels, Glenda, Mathew Joseph, Nitha, Mary, Annapoorna, Mathews, Nisha, Carr, Kathryn Kravetz, Wells, Cheryl, Suriaga, Armiel, Saint Fleur, Angeline
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Avoidable; Black people; Elimination; Health disparities; Health status; Interdisciplinary aspects; Maternal characteristics; Maternal mortality; Mortality rates; Nurses; Policy making; Racial groups; Women
• ISSN: 0160-6891; 1098-240X
• DOI: 10.1002/nur.22332

Black women in the United States experience a higher maternal mortality rate compared to other racial groups. The maternal mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black women is 3.5 times that of non-Hispanic White women and is higher in the South compared to other regions. The majority of pregnancy-related deaths in Black women are deemed to be preventable. Healthy People 2030 directs healthcare providers to advance health equity through societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and healthcare disparities. The Southern Nursing Research Society has put forward this position paper to provide recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women. Recommendations for nurses, multidisciplinary healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.