Oluyemi Farinu

Background: In the United States, Black women are 3-4 times more likely to experience maternal near miss (MNM) or severe maternal morbidity (SMM) than non-Hispanic White women. However, there is a limited narrative-based investigation into Black and other marginalized women’s MNM experiences. Additionally, limited extant research on the impact of MNM and SMM on birthing women’s families or support persons and health care providers precludes the development of multilevel, patient-centered methods to eliminate these racial or ethnic disparities. Objective: This paper presents the protocol for a study that aims to draw insights from the experiences of racially and socioeconomically diverse mothers with MNM and SMM, their family or support persons (eg, partners), and health care providers to inform legislation, clinical practice, and infrastructure for optimal social support using PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines. Using a storytelling approach to assess participants’ risk factors, document underlying causes, and research clinical causes of MNM, researchers hypothesize these data will inform policies to improve maternal conditions and provide safe and effective prevention and treatment options for birthing persons. Methods: Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) will partner with health services and community-based organizations to promote inclusive participant recruitment for this multiphase study. In phase 1, qualitative interviews were conducted with birthing women (n≤87) who have experienced MNM and SMM. In phase 2, we will conduct qualitative interviews with the following groups: birthing women’s partners or support persons (n≤50), health care providers serving birthing women (n≤50), and adults who lost their mothers to pregnancy-related complications (n≤50). In each phase, the total number of participants interviewed will be based on theoretical saturation, that is, the point in iterative data collection and analysis when all important insights have been exhausted from the data already available. Results: Recruitment for phase 1 started in July 2021. As of March 2024, we have recruited 87 racially and socioeconomically diverse birthing women. Of those, 74% (64/87) self-identified as Black or African American, 20% (17/87) as Hispanic or Latina, and 9% (8/87) as Native American or Alaska Native. Severe preeclampsia accounted for 46% (40/87) of participants’ pregnancy-related adverse experiences. Qualitative interviews grounded in narrative-based medicine are ongoing. Recruitment for phase 2 will occur between July 2023 and December 2024. Study results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Conclusions: The findings from this research will deepen the understanding of how severe obstetric complications (1) are experienced by birthing women; (2) are perceived by their partners, support persons, and health providers; and (3) impact the lives of bereaved family and community members.

Black communities in the United States (U.S.) have faced stark inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes. The underrepresentation of Black participants in COVID-19 testing research is detrimental to the understanding of the burden of the disease as well as the impact of risk factors for disease acquisition among Black Americans. Prior scholarship notes that the reluctance to engage in medical research among Black people is, in part, due to the exploitation and abuse this community has seen from the medical field and other social institutions. To better understand the barriers and motivations for COVID-19 testing among Black Americans, this study utilized intersectionality as methodological and theoretical frameworks to examine and investigate the barriers and motivations influencing participation in COVID-19 serosurveys (blood test and interview) among the metro-Atlanta Black communities. From May to October 2021, we took a community-based participatory research approach and conducted 52 semi-structured interviews to uncover different Black communities’ feelings and opinions towards COVID-19 testing. Key reasons participants agreed to the blood test include (1) curiosity; (2) health upkeep; (3) family/community/social responsibility; and (4) importance of research. Participants’ reasons for rejecting the blood test were (1) unnecessary/no benefit; (2) fear (of the known and unknown); (3) fear of needles and/or blood; and (4) discomfort with test setting/procedure. Our findings show that perspectives on willingness to engagement in testing or to not participate varied across gender and age for Black individuals.

Introduction Racial/ethnic disparities in maternal mortality rates represent one of the most significant areas of disparities amongst all conventional population perinatal health measures in the U.S. The alarming trends and persistent disparities of outcomes by race/ethnicity and geographic location reinforce the need to focus on ensuring quality and safety of maternity care for all women. Despite complex multilevel factors impacting maternal mortality and morbidity, there are evidence-based interventions that, when facilitated consistently and properly, are known to improve the health of mothers before, during and after pregnancy. The objective of this project is to test implementation of pre-conception counseling with father involvement in community-based settings to improve cardiovascular health outcomes before and during pregnancy in southeastern United States. Methods and Analysis This study has two components: a comprehensive needs and assets assessment and a small-scale pilot study. We will conduct a community informed needs and assets assessment with our diverse stakeholders to identify opportunities and barriers to preconception counseling as well as develop a stakeholder-informed implementation plan. Next, we will use the implementation plan to pilot preconception counseling with father involvement in community-based settings. Finally, we will critically assess the context, identify potential barriers and facilitators, and iteratively adapt the way preconception counseling can be implemented in diverse settings. Results of this research will support future research focused on identifying barriers and opportunities for scalable and sustainable public health approaches to implementing evidence-based strategies that reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in the southeastern United States’ vulnerable communities. Discussion Findings will demonstrate that preconception counseling can be implemented in community health settings in the southeastern United States. Furthermore, this study will build the capacity of community-based organizations in addressing the preconception health of their clients. We plan for this pilot to inform a larger scaled-up clinical trial across community health settings in multiple southeastern states.

BACKGROUND In the United States, Black women are 3-4 times more likely to experience maternal near miss (MNM) or severe maternal morbidity (SMM) than non-Hispanic White women. However, there is a limited narrative-based investigation into Black and other marginalized women’s MNM experiences. Additionally, limited extant research on the impact of MNM and SMM on birthing women’s families or support persons and health care providers precludes the development of multilevel, patient-centered methods to eliminate these racial or ethnic disparities. OBJECTIVE This paper presents the protocol for a study that aims to draw insights from the experiences of racially and socioeconomically diverse mothers with MNM and SMM, their family or support persons (eg, partners), and health care providers to inform legislation, clinical practice, and infrastructure for optimal social support using PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines. Using a storytelling approach to assess participants’ risk factors, document underlying causes, and research clinical causes of MNM, researchers hypothesize these data will inform policies to improve maternal conditions and provide safe and effective prevention and treatment options for birthing persons. METHODS Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) will partner with health services and community-based organizations to promote inclusive participant recruitment for this multiphase study. In phase 1, qualitative interviews were conducted with birthing women (n≤87) who have experienced MNM and SMM. In phase 2, we will conduct qualitative interviews with the following groups: birthing women’s partners or support persons (n≤50), health care providers serving birthing women (n≤50), and adults who lost their mothers to pregnancy-related complications (n≤50). In each phase, the total number of participants interviewed will be based on theoretical saturation, that is, the point in iterative data collection and analysis when all important insights have been exhausted from the data already available. RESULTS Recruitment for phase 1 started in July 2021. As of March 2024, we have recruited 87 racially and socioeconomically diverse birthing women. Of those, 74% (64/87) self-identified as Black or African American, 20% (17/87) as Hispanic or Latina, and 9% (8/87) as Native American or Alaska Native. Severe preeclampsia accounted for 46% (40/87) of participants’ pregnancy-related adverse experiences. Qualitative interviews grounded in narrative-based medicine are ongoing. Recruitment for phase 2 will occur between July 2023 and December 2024. Study results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this research will deepen the understanding of how severe obstetric complications (1) are experienced by birthing women; (2) are perceived by their partners, support persons, and health providers; and (3) impact the lives of bereaved family and community members.

Background: Racial disparities are evident in maternal morbidity and mortality rates globally. Black women are more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth than any other race or ethnicity. This leaves one of the largest gaps in women’s health to date. Objectives: mHealth interventions that connect with women soon after discharge may assist in individualizing and formalizing support for mothers in the early postpartum period. To aid in developing an mHealth application, Black postpartum mothers’ perspectives were examined. Design: Utilizing the Sojourner Syndrome Framework and Maternal Mortality & Morbidity Measurement Framework, group interview discussion guides were developed to examine the facilitators and barriers of postpartum transitional care for rural Black women living in the United States to inform the development of a mobile health application. Methods: In this study, seven group interviews were held with Black mothers, their support persons, and healthcare providers in rural Georgia to aid in the development of the Prevent Maternal Mortality Using Mobile Technology (PM³) mobile health (mHealth) application. Group interviews included questions about (1) post-birth experiences; (2) specific needs (e.g. clinical, social support, social services, etc.) in the postpartum period; (3) perspectives on current hospital discharge processes and information; (4) lived experiences with racism, classism, and/or gender discrimination; and (5) desired features and characteristics for the mobile app development. Results: Fourteen out of the 78 screened participants were eligible and completed the group interview. Major discussion themes included: accessibility to healthcare and resources due to rurality, issues surrounding race and perceived racism, mental and emotional well-being in the postpartum period, and perspectives on the PM³ mobile application. Conclusion: Participants emphasized the challenges that postpartum Black women face in relation to accessibility, racism and discrimination, and mental health. The women favored a culturally relevant mHealth tool and highlighted the need to tailor the application to address disparities.

Background: Cisgender Black women in the southern United States are at heightened risk for HIV and adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Mobile health interventions that target HIV risk while being adapted to the needs and lived experiences of Black women are remarkably limited. Objective: The study aims to refine SavvyHER, a mobile app for HIV prevention, with Black women residing in high HIV incidence areas of Georgia and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of SavvyHER. This paper describes the procedures implemented to conduct this research. Methods: Community-based participatory research tenets guide this multiphase study to finalize the development of what we hypothesize will be an effective, sustainable, and culturally relevant HIV prevention and optimal sexual health and reproductive wellness app for Black women. This multiphased, mixed methods study consists of 3 phases. The first phase entails focus groups with Black women to understand their preferences for the functionality and design of a beta prototype version of SavvyHER. In the second phase, an app usability pretest (N=10) will be used to refine and optimize the SavvyHER app. The final phase will entail a pilot randomized controlled trial (N=60) to evaluate the app’s feasibility and usability in preparation for a larger trial. Results: Findings from preliminary focus groups revealed educational content, app aesthetics, privacy considerations, and marketing preferred by Black women, thus informing the first functional SavvyHER prototype. As we adapt and test the feasibility of SavvyHER, we hypothesize that the app will be an effective, sustainable, and culturally relevant HIV prevention, sexual health, and reproductive wellness tool for Black women. Conclusions: The findings from this research substantiate the importance of developing health interventions curated for and by Black women to address critical HIV disparities. The knowledge gained from this research can reduce HIV disparities among Black women through a targeted intervention that centers on their health needs and priorities. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/42712

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet #Preprint #PeerReviewMe: Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint. Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn. Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period. Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author). Background: Cisgender Black women in the southern United States are at heightened risk for HIV and adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Mobile health interventions that target HIV risk while being adapted to the needs and lived experiences of Black women are remarkably limited. Objective: The study aims to refine SavvyHER, a mobile app for HIV prevention, with Black women residing in high HIV incidence areas of Georgia and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of SavvyHER. This paper describes the procedures implemented to conduct this research. Methods: Community-based participatory research tenets guide this multiphase study to finalize the development of what we hypothesize will be an effective, sustainable, and culturally relevant HIV prevention and optimal sexual health and reproductive wellness app for Black women. This multiphased, mixed methods study consists of 3 phases. The first phase entails focus groups with Black women to understand their preferences for the functionality and design of a beta prototype version of SavvyHER. In the second phase, an app usability pretest (N=10) will be used to refine and optimize the SavvyHER app. The final phase will entail a pilot randomized controlled trial (N=60) to evaluate the app’s feasibility and usability in preparation for a larger trial. Results: Findings from preliminary focus groups revealed educational content, app aesthetics, privacy considerations, and marketing preferred by Black women, thus informing the first functional SavvyHER prototype. As we adapt and test the feasibility of SavvyHER, we hypothesize that the app will be an effective, sustainable, and culturally relevant HIV prevention, sexual health, and reproductive wellness tool for Black women. Conclusions: The findings from this research substantiate the importance of developing health interventions curated for and by Black women to address critical HIV disparities. The knowledge gained from this research can reduce HIV disparities among Black women through a targeted intervention that centers on their health needs and priorities. Trial Registration:

The purpose of this paper is to examine the identity narratives of online Black-Asian communities concerning their multiracial microaggression experiences. As we are investigating an under-explored population, we utilize a purposive sampling method to narrow forum engagement by Black-Asian users on the popular social media network, Reddit. Our research is guided by multiracial critical theory (MultiCrit) which highlights monoracism as a ubiquitous element of the monoracial paradigm of race. In our research, we employ a content analysis using Black-Asian microaggression narratives to test the existing multiracial microaggression taxonomy. Our findings demonstrate that Black-Asian subreddit communities identified all of the existing multiracial microaggression categories: (1) exclusion or isolation; (2) exotification and objectification; (3) assumption of monoracial or mistaken identity; (4) denial of multiraciality; (5) pathologizing of identity and experiences; and (6) microaggressions based on racial stereotypes. Our analysis also found an emerging microaggression category entitled (7) white-mixed superiority. These multiracial microaggressions drew on monoracist ideologies and the monoracial paradigm of race, which exclude Black-Asian people and aid the maintenance of white supremacy in the United States. As such, we suggest further inquiry and expansion of the multiracial microaggression taxonomy to include how racism, particularly the monoracial paradigm of race, influences non-white multiracial identities.