Title: Maternal mortality among African, American women maternal care: A communication studies perspective

Abstract

Maternal mortality as well as pregnancy-related complications have continued to plague African American communities in the United States. Black women are three to four times likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to non-Hispanic White women. In some states, those rates are even higher. To address this problem, I engage in critical qualitative research on the prenatal and postnatal experiences of African American women. In my previous and ongoing research, I approach the problem of maternal mortality among African American women from a communication studies perspective-paying close attention to interactions between healthcare providers and African American women during maternal healthcare visits. This way, I have analyzed the communicative acts within the healthcare contexts, and how those messages (spoken and unspoken) (dis) empower women and advance the experience of mistrust and non-compliance. Through critical race theory and relational dialectics theory, I examine what structural barriers exist in the U.S. healthcare system, those that limit access to quality care during their prenatal and postnatal doctor’s visits. Additionally, I examine the presence and role of cultural, marginalizing, discourses in physician-patient interactions and how that generally impact healthcare outcomes. Findings from this study reveal racially insensitive biomedical approach, racial discrimination, systemic racism, as well as dominant discourse of “the strong Black woman”. These findings offer insights for healthcare providers on communicative practices that foster a racially-safe healthcare environment for African American women as well as other Black women in marginalized positions across the world.