Research on Black Women and Breastfeeding: Assessing Publication Trends (1980-2020).

Background: Research on race/ethnicity and breastfeeding has consistently found lower rates for Black mothers compared with other U.S. women, due to various social, cultural, and historical factors. Aggregate analyses illuminate racial/ethnic differences, but they only provide partial insight into the factors contextualizing breastfeeding decisions and rates. We examined articles addressing Black women and breastfeeding (1980-2020) to assess publication trends. Materials and Methods: A targeted literature search in PubMed for research on Black women and breastfeeding (1980-2020). The search used nine different keyword combinations: ("breastfeeding" OR "lactation" OR "infant feeding,") AND ("rac*" OR "African American" OR "Black"). After removing duplicates, non-U.S. research, and irrelevant articles, 221 articles were reviewed. Articles were coded for year, type (quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, conceptual/literature review, commentary/editorial), and journal target audience (e.g., nursing). Results: More than 50% of all articles were published after 2013. The period of 2018-2020 accounts for 25% of all published articles. The research is also mostly quantitative (60.2%). Qualitative studies made up only 16.7% of articles. A few studies used mixed methods (5%). More than half of all qualitative studies were published after 2014. Conclusions: Research on Black women and breastfeeding has slowly increased since 1980, but much of the work has only been done post-2000. Research is also mostly quantitative analyses. Quantitative and qualitative methods rely on different research aims, styles, and objectives. To provide a fuller understanding of Black women's relationship to and experience of breastfeeding, we suggest that scholars cultivate a stronger focus on qualitative and mixed methods for future research.

The enduring impact of birth: Women's birth perceptions, postpartum depressive symptoms, and postpartum depression risk.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) and related maternal mood disorders affect anywhere from 7% to 19% of postpartum women. Although historically a neglected issue, there has been a strong impetus in the past few decades to implement routine, universal screening and to address PPD as a major public health concern. Still, there has been relatively little analysis of how the quality of the birth experience influences subsequent maternal mental health. We examine the relationship between perceived birth experience and two PPD screeners (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Postpartum Depression Screening Scale). METHODS: Data came from waves I and II of the Listening to Mothers data set. This is the only national survey of US women's childbirth and postpartum experiences. In logistic and linear regression models, we used a 12-item "feeling" index (perceived birth experience) to predict (a) overall PPD screener scores, and (b) likelihood of meeting the clinical cutoff for depression risk. We also controlled for other known socio-demographic and obstetric risk factors. RESULTS: Perceived birth experience strongly and consistently predicted both PPD screener measures, and in both forms-raw scores and clinical cutoffs. By contrast, other known risk factors had inconsistent results across the two screeners. DISCUSSION: Perceived birth experience should be considered more central in assessing PPD. It may also be more robust than the PPD screeners used in practice, and therefore, could be a more reliable predictor of PPD. Providers should consider how the improved social-psychological quality of women's birth experience can act as a buffer to PPD and other postpartum concerns.

"Something Was Attacking Them and Their Reproductive Organs": Environmental Reproductive Justice in an Indigenous Tribe in the United States Gulf Coast.

Environmental reproductive justice is increasingly being utilized as a framework for exploring how environmental exploitation and pollution contribute to reproductive health and reproductive injustices. However, little research explores how settler colonialism and historical oppression contribute to the physical transformation of land, and how this undermines tribal members' health. Even less research explores the intersection of environmental justice and reproductive justice among Indigenous groups, especially in the Gulf South, who are especially vulnerable to environmental justice issues due to climate change, land loss, and oil company exploitation, and for tribes that are non-federally recognized. A qualitative description research methodology was used to conduct 31 life-history interviews with women from a Gulf Coast Indigenous tribe. Findings of this study reveal that central components of reproductive justice, including the ability to have children and the ability to raise children in safe and healthy environments, are undermined by environmental justice issues in the community. Among concerns raised by women were high rates of chronic healthcare issues among community members, and issues with infertility. Recognizing Indigenous sovereignty is central to addressing these environmental reproductive justice issues. This research is unique in exploring the topic of environmental reproductive justice among a state-recognized Gulf Coast tribe.