From left: Ciara Venter (Psychological and Brain Sciences), Lucinda Canty (Nursing), Maureen Perry-Jenkins (Psychological and Brain Sciences), Favorite Iradukunda (Nursing), Diego Barcala-Delgado (Psychological and Brain Sciences)
All employed mothers essentially work two jobs, clocking out of their professional life to return to their labors of love as a parent. Black women face critical challenges in maternal health, encountering perinatal mortality and other pregnancy-related complications at significantly higher rates than all other women. As such, understanding the health impacts of this “double shift” represents a critical and underexamined avenue for addressing this crisis.
This study, spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team funded by IDS, explores the impact of work conditions on Black mothers' health during the postnatal period. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research analyzes how things like job structure, workplace policies, and the overall work environment contribute to postpartum depression and stress among 258 employed Black mothers. As a part two, focus groups will be conducted with new mothers to better understand how conditions of work impede their abilities to be engaged mothers.
The objectives are threefold: to describe Black mothers' work conditions, assess how these conditions relate to health outcomes, and deepen our understanding of their perinatal experiences. This effort not only aims to highlight the role of workplace environments in health disparities, but also to identify modifiable factors that could enhance Black mothers' well-being.
The team hypothesizes that supportive work policies, reasonable schedules, and positive work climates may mitigate the risks of postpartum depression and stress, underscoring the need for more inclusive and equitable employment practices. Moreover, the study will attempt to understand the sources of Black mothers’ resilience despite systemic barriers, suggesting avenues for future research and policy development.
The project hopes to foster a broader discourse on maternal health equity, with plans to disseminate findings through academic publications, workshops, and community outreach. Additionally, graduate and undergraduate students will be actively involved in data analysis, focus group facilitation, and community engagement. Their participation will uplift a new generation of scholars – their understanding rooted in the experiences and voices of Black mothers – committed to the quest for social justice in health.