Losing Connection: Experiences of Virtual Pregnancy and Postpartum Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The rapid uptake of telehealth for perinatal care during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to mixed evidence as to its effectiveness, with limited research demonstrating satisfaction and appropriateness for communities at risk for poor birth outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe the experiences of virtual care during pregnancy and postpartum among a diverse group of pregnant/birthing people in Washington State during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a thematic analysis study exploring experiences of care during the COVID-19 pandemic for 15 pregnant and birthing people in Washington State. This secondary analysis utilized data specific to experiences receiving care via telehealth. RESULTS: Three dominant themes were identified: loss of connection and relationships with providers; need for hands-on interactions for reassurance; and virtual care is good for some things but not all-desire for immediate, accessible care when appropriate. The majority of participants felt that it was subpar to in-person care due to a lack of connection and the inability to receive necessary tests and hands-on reassurance. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Our study findings encourage very judicious use of virtual care for communities that are at high risk for birth disparities to avoid impacting relationship building between patient and provider.

The impact of COVID-19 visitor policy restrictions on birthing communities of colour.

AIMS: To explore the experiences of care for pregnant and birthing people, and the nurses who cared for them, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with special emphasis on the impact of visitor restrictions policies. DESIGN: Qualitative study using critical thematic analysis. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 community members who were pregnant and/or gave birth and 14 nurses who worked in the perinatal setting between April and August 2020. Participants were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling, and interviews were conducted virtually via the Zoom platform. The research team used critical thematic analysis methods informed by other interpretive methodologies to arrive at resultant themes. RESULTS: Participants described experiences pertaining to how visitor restriction policies are not equitable and disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families, and the direct impacts of not having support people, and also provided recommendations for how to adapt current policies to be more equitable. CONCLUSIONS: Visitor restriction policies have had a disproportionately harmful effect on BIPOC patients and families, leading some patients to make decisions that increase their physical risks to alleviate their risk of labouring and birthing without desired support. IMPACT: While this pandemic is nearing the end, these results can guide structuring of policy not only for the next pandemic, but also for universal policy development. Mitigating the effects of racism in policies, by including diverse stakeholders in decision-making, should be an inherent part of hospital administration procedures.

Examining the racial and ethnic diversity of associate degree in nursing programs by type of institution in the US, 2012-2018.

BACKGROUND: Increasing nursing workforce diversity is essential to quality health care. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs are a primary path to becoming a registered nurse and an important source of nursing diversity. PURPOSE: To examine how the number of graduates and racial/ethnic student composition of ADN programs have changed since the Institute of Medicine's recommendation to increase the percentage of bachelor's-prepared nurses to 80%. METHODS: Using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education System, we analyzed the number of graduates and racial/ethnic composition of ADN programs across public, private not-for-profit, and private for-profit institutions, and financial aid awarded by type of institution from 2012-2018. DISCUSSION: Racial/ethnic diversity among ADN programs grew from 2012-2018. Although private for-profits proportionally demonstrated greater ADN student diversity and provided financial aid institutionally to a higher percentage of students, public schools contributed the most to the number and racial/ethnic diversity of ADN graduates. CONCLUSION: Given concerns regarding private for-profits, promoting public institutions may be the most effective strategy to enhance diversity among ADN nurses.

Understanding and effectively addressing breast cancer in African American women: Unpacking the social context.

Black women have a higher incidence of breast cancer before the age of 40 years, more severe disease at all ages, and an elevated mortality risk in comparison with white women. There is limited understanding of the contribution of social factors to these patterns. Elucidating the role of the social determinants of health in breast cancer disparities requires greater attention to how risk factors for breast cancer unfold over the lifecourse and to the complex ways in which socioeconomic status and racism shape exposure to psychosocial, physical, chemical, and other individual and community-level assaults that increase the risk of breast cancer. Research that takes seriously the social context in which black women live is also needed to maximize the opportunities to prevent breast cancer in this underserved group. Cancer 2016;122:2138-49. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Burnout, Exhaustion, Experiences of Discrimination, and Stress Among Underrepresented and First-Generation College Students in Graduate Health Profession Education.

OBJECTIVES: Mental health disorders are increasing among health profession students. Compounding this, students from underrepresented backgrounds may face additional stressors and challenges. The aims of this study were to: (1) assess the extent to which burnout, exhaustion, experiences of discrimination, and stress exist among students in dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapist professional education programs; (2) determine if there are significant differences by key demographic characteristics (those who are first-generation college students [FGCSs], a member of an underrepresented minority [URM] group, or both); and (3) highlight strategies and solutions to alleviate these challenges identified by students. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey using a mix of question types of a sample of graduate students from dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy programs from February to June 2020. Utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey and campus climate and stress survey, mean subscale scores were calculated for the following outcomes of interest: MBI-SS burnout, dimensions of stress, and observed racism. Logistic regressions examined student factors that may help explain these outcomes. Content analysis examined participants' responses to open-ended questions. RESULTS: There were 611 individuals who completed all survey questions. FGCSs were significantly more likely than non-FGCSs to report exhaustion (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.50; 95% CI = 1.04-2.16), family stress (aOR: 3.11; 95% CI = 2.13-4.55), and financial stress (aOR: 1.74; 95% CI = 1.21-2.50). URM students reported not feeling supported in their program and mentioned needing additional support, particularly for well-being, from staff and faculty. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study are consistent with literature that FGCSs experience additional stressors that may lead to burnout and exhaustion. URM students reported not feeling supported in their programs. This study's findings point to the need for leadership and faculty of health professional schools to implement or strengthen current policies, practices, and strategies that support URM students and FGCSs. IMPACT: Research demonstrates that a diverse student body and faculty enhances the educational experience for health professional students, and that diversity strengthens the learning environment and improves learning outcomes, preparing students to care for an increasingly diverse population. However, this study finds that students from underrepresented backgrounds may still experience more burnout, exhaustion, discrimination, and stress than their peers. Programs and policies to support URM students and FGCSs throughout their academic careers can help improve graduation and retention rates, leading to improved workforce diversity.

Racism and Health I: Pathways and Scientific Evidence.

This article reviews the scientific research that indicates that despite marked declines in public support for negative racial attitudes in the United States, racism, in its multiple forms, remains embedded in American society. The focus of the article is on the review of empirical research that suggests that racism adversely affects the health of non-dominant racial populations in multiple ways. First, institutional racism developed policies and procedures that have reduced access to housing, neighborhood and educational quality, employment opportunities and other desirable resources in society. Second, cultural racism, at the societal and individual level, negatively affects economic status and health by creating a policy environment hostile to egalitarian policies, triggering negative stereotypes and discrimination that are pathogenic and fostering health damaging psychological responses such as stereotype threat and internalized racism. Finally, a large and growing body of evidence indicates that experiences of racial discrimination are an important type of psychosocial stressor that can lead to adverse changes in health status and altered behavioural patterns that increase health risks.

Racism and Health II: A Needed Research Agenda for Effective Interventions.

This article reviews the empirical evidence that suggests that there is a solid foundation for more systematic research attention to the ways in which interventions that seek to reduce the multiple dimensions of racism can improve health and reduce disparities in health. First, research reveals that policies and procedures that seek to reduce institutional racism by improving neighborhood and educational quality and enhancing access to additional income, employment opportunities and other desirable resources can improve health. Second, research is reviewed that shows that there is the potential to improve health through interventions that can reduce cultural racism at the societal and individual level. Finally, research is presented that suggests that the adverse consequences of racism on health can be reduced through policies that maximize the health-enhancing capacities of medical care, address the social factors that initiate and sustain risk behaviors and empower individuals and communities to take control of their lives and health. Directions for future research are outlined.

A Critical Race Theory Analysis of Mental Health Disparities Research.

Health disparities and the impact of racism on the mental and physical health of people of color has been well-documented. However, health research has historically approached race as a genetic and biological attribute to explain differences in health outcomes. Although more recent policies and research have begun to move toward conceptualizing race as a socially constructed category that can be thought of as a proxy for racism, the ways in which race and racism are conceptualized in mental health disparities research needs deeper analysis. Using critical race theory (CRT) and content analysis, we investigate how mental health research has examined race, racism, and mental health in PubMed articles published between 2012 and 2022. Findings suggest a need for more complex conceptualizations of race, particularly related to essentialized, monoracial framings that rarely explore how race is defined and employed. Much of the research analyzed did not position racism, discrimination, or oppression as central to contextualizing racial mental health disparities. Additionally, the role of voice was often missing, limiting understandings of racialized experiences. Results of this analysis illuminate areas the need for more racism conscious approaches to understanding racial disparities in mental health and identifying opportunities to promote health equity.

Network analysis of adverse childhood experiences and cardiovascular diseases.

Significance: The findings to date indicate that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in later life. We demonstrate how network analysis, a statistical method that estimates complex patterns of associations between variables, can be used to model ACEs and CVD. The main goal is to explore the differential impacts of ACE components on CVD outcomes, conditioned on other ACEs and important covariates using network analysis. We also sought to determine which ACEs are most synergistically correlated and subsequently cluster together to affect CVD risk. Methods: Our analysis was based on cross-sectional data from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which included 31,242 adults aged 55 or older (54.6% women, 79.8% whites, mean age of 68.7 ± 7.85 years). CVD outcomes included angina/coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke prevalence. Mixed graphical models were estimated using the R-package mgm, including all variables simultaneously to elucidate their one-to-one inter-relationships. Next, we conducted Walktrap cluster detection on the estimated networks using the R-package igraph. All analyses were stratified by gender to examine group differences. Results: In the network for men, the variable "household incarceration" was most strongly associated with stroke. For women, the strongest connection was between "physical abuse" and stroke, followed by "sexual abuse" and angina/CHD. For men, angina/CHD and stroke were clustered with several CVD risk factors, including depressive disorder, diabetes, obesity, physical activity, and smoking, and further clustered with components of household dysfunction (household substance abuse, household incarceration, and parental separation/divorce). No clusters emerged for women. Conclusions: Specific ACEs associated with CVDs across gender may be focal points for targeted interventions. Additionally, findings from the clustering method (especially for men) may provide researchers with valuable information on potential mechanisms linking ACEs with cardiovascular health, in which household dysfunction plays a critical role.

Inequitable care delivery toward COVID-19 positive people of color and people with disabilities.

This study aimed to explore provider observations of inequitable care delivery towards COVID-19 positive patients who are Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC) and/or have disabilities and to identify ways the health workforce may be contributing to and compounding inequitable care. We conducted semi-structured interviews between April and November 2021 with frontline healthcare providers from Washington, Florida, Illinois, and New York. Using thematic analysis, major themes related to discriminatory treatment included decreased care, delayed care, and fewer options for care. Healthcare providers' bias and stigma, organizational bias, lack of resources, fear of transmission, and burnout were mentioned as drivers for discriminatory treatment. COVID-19 related health system policies such as visitor restrictions and telehealth follow-ups inadvertently resulted in discriminatory practices towards BIPOC patients and patients with disabilities. As patients experience lower quality healthcare during the pandemic, COVID-19-related restrictions and policies compounded existing inequitable care for these populations.

Research on discrimination and health: an exploratory study of unresolved conceptual and measurement issues.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal in this study was to better understand racial and socioeconomic status (SES) variations in experiences of racial and nonracial discrimination. METHODS: We used 1999 and 2000 data from the YES Health Study, which involved a community sample of 50 Black and 50 White respondents drawn from 4 neighborhoods categorized according to racial group (majority Black or majority White) and SES (≤ 150% or > 250% of the poverty line). Qualitative and quantitative analyses examined experiences of discrimination across these neighborhoods. RESULTS: More than 90% of Blacks and Whites described the meaning of unfair treatment in terms of injustice and felt certain about the attribution of their experiences of discrimination. These experiences triggered similar emotional reactions (most frequently anger and frustration) and levels of stress across groups, and low-SES Blacks and Whites reported higher levels of discrimination than their moderate-SES counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Experiences of discrimination were commonplace and linked to similar emotional responses and levels of stress among both Blacks and Whites of low and moderate SES. Effects were the same whether experiences were attributed to race or to other reasons.

Perceived discrimination and psychological well-being in the U.S.A. and South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To explore levels of perceived racial and non-racial discrimination and their associations with self-esteem and mastery in the U.S.A. and South Africa. DESIGN: We used ordinary least square regressions to test the cross-sectional associations between discrimination and psychological resources using two national probability samples of adults: the National Survey of American Life and the South African Stress and Health Study. RESULTS: Levels of perceived racial discrimination were higher in the U.S.A. than in South Africa. In the U.S.A., both African-Americans and Caribbean blacks have comparable or higher levels of self-esteem and mastery than whites. In contrast, South African whites have higher levels of both self-esteem and mastery than Africans, Coloureds, and Indians. Perceived discrimination, especially chronic everyday discrimination, is inversely related to self-esteem and mastery in both societies. In South Africa, stress and socioeconomic status (SES) but not discrimination are important determinants of racial differences in self-esteem and mastery. CONCLUSIONS: In two racialized societies, perceived discrimination acts independent of demographic factors, general stressors, social desirability bias, racial identity, and SES, to negatively affect the psychological resources of self-esteem and mastery.

Finding middle ground: negotiating university and tribal community interests in community-based participatory research.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been hailed as an alternative approach to one-sided research endeavors that have traditionally been conducted on communities as opposed to with them. Although CBPR engenders numerous relationship strengths, through its emphasis on co-sharing, mutual benefit, and community capacity building, it is often challenging as well. In this article, we describe some of the challenges of implementing CBPR in a research project designed to prevent cardiovascular disease among an indigenous community in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and how we addressed them. Specifically, we highlight the process of collaboratively constructing a Research Protocol/Data Sharing Agreement and qualitative interview guide that addressed the concerns of both university and tribal community constituents. Establishing these two items was a process of negotiation that required: (i) balancing of individual, occupational, research, and community interests; (ii) definition of terminology (e.g., ownership of data); and (iii) extensive consideration of how to best protect research participants. Finding middle ground in CBPR requires research partners to examine and articulate their own assumptions and expectations, and nurture a relationship based on compromise to effectively meet the needs of each group.

Project həli?dx(w)/Healthy Hearts Across Generations: development and evaluation design of a tribally based cardiovascular disease prevention intervention for American Indian families.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations are disproportionately at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and obesity, compared with the general US population. This article describes the həli?dx(w)/Healthy Hearts Across Generations project, an AIAN-run, tribally based randomized controlled trial (January 2010-June 2012) designed to evaluate a culturally appropriate CVD risk prevention program for AI parents residing in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. At-risk AIAN adults (n = 135) were randomly assigned to either a CVD prevention intervention arm or a comparison arm focusing on increasing family cohesiveness, communication, and connectedness. Both year-long conditions included 1 month of motivational interviewing counseling followed by personal coach contacts and family life-skills classes. Blood chemistry, blood pressure, body mass index, food intake, and physical activity were measured at baseline and at 4- and 12-month follow-up times.

The dynamic interplay between low socioeconomic status and diabetes for urban American Indians.

Socioeconomic status is a pervasive predictor of health and has a gradient effect on many diseases, such as diabetes. American Indians and Alaska Natives nationwide live in some of the most difficult socioeconomic conditions and have a higher prevalence of diabetes than any other major racial/ethnic group in the United States. This article contextualizes the nature of socioeconomic status in diabetes, diabetes management, and urban American Indians' lives by using a case study. Underscoring the economic dimensions in this manner can illuminate the complexities of life for urban American Indians with diabetes and guide diabetes initiatives for this population.

Where the System Failed: The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Pregnancy and Birth Care.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a massive shift in health care systems, including within pregnancy and birth care. To explore how experiences of pregnancy and birth were impacted, 15 patient participants and 14 nurse participants were interviewed and transcripts analyzed using critical thematic analysis. Patients highlighted how adaptations to care were inadequate to meet their needs, a desire for support in response to stress, and the impact of COVID on patients' experiences. Nurses identified how inconsistencies in policies impacted nurses' ability to care for patients, the impact on nurses from hospital actions, and the impact on patients from hospital actions. Both groups discussed how system changes had disparate impacts on marginalized communities, leading to racially-biased care. This pandemic will continue to have lasting impact on pregnant and birthing families, and the nurses who care for them, and it is imperative that hospitals examine their role and any potential impacts.

Perceived discrimination, race and health in South Africa.

To assess the levels of perceived acute and chronic racial and non-racial discrimination in South Africa, their association with health, and the extent to which they contribute to racial differences in physical and mental health, data were used from a national probability sample of adults, the South African Stress and Health Study (SASH). All Black groups in South Africa (African, Coloured and Indian) were two to four times more likely than Whites to report acute and chronic experiences of racial discrimination. Africans and Coloureds report higher levels of ill health than Whites, but acute and chronic racial discrimination were unrelated to ill health and unimportant in accounting for racial differences in self-rated health. In contrast, all Black groups had higher levels of psychological distress than Whites, and perceived chronic discrimination was positively associated with distress. Moreover, these experiences accounted for some of the residual racial differences in distress after adjustment for socioeconomic status. Our main findings indicate that, in a historically racialized society, perceived chronic racial and especially non-racial discrimination acts independently of demographic factors, other stressors, psychological factors (social desirability, self-esteem and personal mastery), and multiple SES indicators to adversely affect mental health.

Moving upstream: how interventions that address the social determinants of health can improve health and reduce disparities.

There is considerable scientific and policy interest in reducing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare and health status. Currently, much of the policy focus around reducing health disparities has been geared toward improving access, coverage, quality, and the intensity of healthcare. However, health is more a function of lifestyles linked to living and working conditions than of healthcare. Accordingly, effective efforts to improve health and reduce gaps in health need to pay greater attention to addressing the social determinants of health within and outside of the healthcare system. This article highlights research evidence documenting that tackling the social determinants of health can lead to reductions in health disparities. It focuses both on interventions within the healthcare system that address some of the social determinants of health and on interventions in upstream factors such as housing, neighborhood conditions, and increased socioeconomic status that can lead to improvements in health. The studies reviewed highlight the importance of systematic evaluation of social and economic policies that might have health consequences and the need for policy makers, healthcare providers, and leaders across multiple sectors of society to apply currently available knowledge to improve the underlying conditions that impact the health of populations.

Racial discrimination & health: pathways & evidence.

This review provides an overview of the existing empirical research of the multiple ways by which discrimination can affect health. Institutional mechanisms of discrimination such as restricting marginalized groups to live in undesirable residential areas can have deleterious health consequences by limiting socio-economic status (SES) and creating health-damaging conditions in residential environments. Discrimination can also adversely affect health through restricting access to desirable services such as medical care and creating elevated exposure to traditional stressors such as unemployment and financial strain. Central to racism is an ideology of inferiority that can adversely affect non-dominant groups because some members of marginalized populations will accept as true the dominant society's ideology of their group's inferiority. Limited empirical research indicates that internalized racism is inversely related to health. In addition, the existence of these negative stereotypes can lead dominant group members to consciously and unconsciously discriminate against the stigmatized. An overview of the growing body of research examining the ways in which psychosocial stress generated by subjective experiences of discrimination can affect health is also provided. We review the evidence from the United States and other societies that suggest that the subjective experience of discrimination can adversely affect health and health enhancing behaviours. Advancing our understanding of the relationship between discrimination and health requires improved assessment of the phenomenon of discrimination and increased attention to identifying the psychosocial and biological pathways that may link exposure to discrimination to health status.

Transnationalism: A Framework for Advancing Nursing Research With Contemporary Immigrants.

This article advances nursing research by presenting transnationalism as a framework for inquiry with contemporary immigrants. Transnationalism occurs when immigrants maintain relationships that transcend the geographical borders of their origin and host countries. Immigrants use those relationships to experience health differently within concurrent socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts than national situated populations. Nurse researchers are called upon to consider these trans-border relationships when exploring the health of contemporary immigrants. Such consideration is needed to develop relevant research designs, methods, analysis, and dissemination strategies.