eprintid: 31638
rev_number: 13
userid: 6475
dir: disk0/00/03/16/38
datestamp: 2017-06-29 23:07:49
lastmod: 2017-06-29 23:07:49
status_changed: 2017-06-29 23:07:49
type: thesis_degree
succeeds: 31233
metadata_visibility: show
contact_email: kristina.wint@gmail.com
item_issues_id: thesis_degree_versioning
item_issues_type: thesis_degree_versioning
item_issues_description: ETD 31638 is using versioning.
item_issues_timestamp: 2017-04-29 06:01:58
item_issues_status: discovered
item_issues_count: 1
eprint_status: archive
creators_name: Wint, Kristina
creators_email: kew69@pitt.edu
creators_id: kew69
creators_orcid: 0000-0001-9981-6082
title: Components and experiences of doulas working with disadvantaged mothers
ispublished: unpub
divisions: sch_gsph_behavioralcommhealthsci
full_text_status: public
keywords: doulas, African-American women, pregnancy, birth outcomes, health equity, birth disparities
abstract: African-American women have significantly poorer birth outcomes compared to their white peers; African-American women are more likely to give birth to a preterm baby and to have a baby with low birth weight. Additionally, African-American infants are more likely to die within their first year of life than white infants. Further, this health disparity between African-American and white women in infant mortality rates persists, the gap between groups showing little sign of closing. Thus, modifications are needed to tailor interventions to better suit the needs of African- American women. A potential enhancement is the inclusion of doula or doula-like services in existing home-visiting systems and the expansion of community doula programs. By providing support from a paraprofessional such as a doula, potentially the birth outcomes of African- American women and their children may be positively influenced. The goal of this research is to learn from doulas what components of their services might best serve low-income African- American women and to explore ways in which training can be modified to better help community doulas when working with this population. Ten doulas were interviewed about their experiences working with women who are low-income, African-American and both. Doulas were recruited from a local community doula program, and via word-of-mouth referrals from participants. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Atlas.ti software to identify emerging themes. The themes that emerged from the interviews included: 1) Doulas work to support mothers during the different phases of pregnancy, 2) Doulas work to advocate for mothers with a special emphasis on helping women self-advocate for themselves and their babies, 3) Doulas often step outside of their role to provide mothers with extra support, and 4) Doulas recognize the institutional biases that exist in the hospital system and try to mediate their effect on mothers. These themes highlight the ways doulas can intervene between the effects of negative social determinants of health, as well as show potential avenues to improve training to help doulas when working with disadvantaged women. The public health significance of this project lies in that it explores a perspective not previously explored in the literature: that of doulas with experience working with low-income African-American women, in an effort to improve the health of this population.
date: 2017-06-29
date_type: published
pages: 46
institution: University of Pittsburgh
refereed: TRUE
etdcommittee_type: committee_chair
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_name: Gary-Webb, Tiffany
etdcommittee_name: Elias, Thistle
etdcommittee_name: Mendez, Dara
etdcommittee_email: tgary@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: elias@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: DDM11@pitt.edu
etd_defense_date: 2017-04-18
etd_approval_date: 2017-06-29
etd_submission_date: 2017-04-03
etd_release_date: 2017-06-29
etd_access_restriction: immediate
etd_patent_pending: FALSE
thesis_type: thesis
degree: MPH
citation:   Wint, Kristina  (2017) Components and experiences of doulas working with disadvantaged mothers.  Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)  
document_url: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/31638/1/WINT_K_etd_april2017.pdf