Strengthening State Partnerships to Address Maternal Mortality, Nutrition Disparities, and Father Engagement
Abstract
Background: The maternal mortality rate in the United States is steadily increasing and Georgia continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. Black women are two to three times more likely to have a pregnancy-related death compared to all racial groups. Research suggests that these deaths are preventable. Interventions that improve maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy and building father’s knowledge regarding maternal and child health can reduce the risk of poor health outcomes in mothers. This community-based participatory research study examined if modifications to an existing evidence-informed intervention for maternal mortality and morbidity, Healthy Start (HS), significantly improve health outcomes for pregnant Black mothers in Georgia. The overall goal of the study was to expand and strengthen statewide partnerships to decrease maternal mortality and morbidity by improving maternal nutritional outcomes, increasing rates of breastfeeding initiation, and increasing father involvement in these efforts. Methods: Nutrition education and breastfeeding education was conducted by state partners. Participants from three of six HS programs received nutrition and breastfeeding education and participants from the remaining three received the standard HS programming for 2 years. Intervention modifications and HS participant outcomes were assessed through survey data. Results: Preliminary results indicated an increase in nutrition and breastfeeding knowledge, improvement in diet quality, and an increase in plans to initiate breastfeeding. Conclusions: Nutrition and breastfeeding education during pregnancy as an intervention can promote change in communities and individuals to reduce the number of pregnancy-related death and diseases. Strengthening partnerships and leveraging statewide resources can also promote systemic change needed to improve perinatal health outcomes.
Keywords
maternal health, nutrition, breastfeeding, father engagement, community-based participatory research
Strengthening State Partnerships to Address Maternal Mortality, Nutrition Disparities, and Father Engagement
Background: The maternal mortality rate in the United States is steadily increasing and Georgia continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. Black women are two to three times more likely to have a pregnancy-related death compared to all racial groups. Research suggests that these deaths are preventable. Interventions that improve maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy and building father’s knowledge regarding maternal and child health can reduce the risk of poor health outcomes in mothers. This community-based participatory research study examined if modifications to an existing evidence-informed intervention for maternal mortality and morbidity, Healthy Start (HS), significantly improve health outcomes for pregnant Black mothers in Georgia. The overall goal of the study was to expand and strengthen statewide partnerships to decrease maternal mortality and morbidity by improving maternal nutritional outcomes, increasing rates of breastfeeding initiation, and increasing father involvement in these efforts. Methods: Nutrition education and breastfeeding education was conducted by state partners. Participants from three of six HS programs received nutrition and breastfeeding education and participants from the remaining three received the standard HS programming for 2 years. Intervention modifications and HS participant outcomes were assessed through survey data. Results: Preliminary results indicated an increase in nutrition and breastfeeding knowledge, improvement in diet quality, and an increase in plans to initiate breastfeeding. Conclusions: Nutrition and breastfeeding education during pregnancy as an intervention can promote change in communities and individuals to reduce the number of pregnancy-related death and diseases. Strengthening partnerships and leveraging statewide resources can also promote systemic change needed to improve perinatal health outcomes.
