Diary of Systemic Injustice Showcase: Disproportionate rates of mortality in black mothers

One systemic injustice that is present in America today and is somewhat shocking to me still is the disproportionate rate at which black mothers die during childbirth. Infant mortality is a big problem in inner city populations, with black women being three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause than white women. In a nation as civilized and as advanced in medicine as America, this is especially concerning. Nations that are comparable to America in these areas have much lower rates of maternal deaths and infant mortality. This can be seen in the infographic below. 

Some factors contributing to this injustice include systemic racism, poverty, educational inequities, and lack of access to healthcare. Being a nutrition major, I am very adamant that a greater effort needs to be taken to educate women regarding the importance of essential vitamins and their role in fetal development and maternal health. Lack of access to education affects women who may not know the right amounts of vitamins and beneficial foods. Aside from pregnancy related issues, black Americans have unequal access to healthcare due to other systemic issues. Some of these issues are shown below.

 

Those without access to healthcare may not be able to afford to keep up with ultrasound appointments and management of a high risk pregnancy. Prior to pregnancy, black mothers may have preexisting conditions that were not able to be managed well, or even go undetectable until pregnancy. This heightens the risk of their pregnancy and leads to more complications.

The relevancy of this injustice is particularly apparent when we take into account maternal fatality rates of other developed nations. In a study completed by the American Journal of Managed Care, it is discussed how out of eleven developed nations, the United States has the highest mortality rate. While the United States has some of the best doctors and medical technology, I believe that the quality of care and the amount of people we are able to reach needs to be prioritized and reevaluated. 

This injustice is perpetuated by the little evidence available regarding the issue. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America describes how until recently, there has been little evidence pertaining to how gender and race affects health outcomes. This can be related to the concept of a “single story,” and how those who are writing scientific literature and performing research studies are not concerned with interests other than their own. Because black mothers are a minority, attention has not been brought to this issue soon enough. If this disparity was realized and addressed earlier, biases could have been discovered sooner, and lives would have been saved.

Sources:

https://www.ajmc.com/view/us-ranks-worst-in-maternal-care-mortality-compared-with-10-other-developed-nationshttps://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.htmlhttps://www.pnas.org/content/117/35/21194

Service

In September of 2019, I decided to begin volunteering as a crisis worker for the National Suicide Prevention hotline. Working at the hotline required 6 weeks of extensive training, throughout which I obtained invaluable skills. The education I recieved regarding mental illness, reasons for suicide, and the health care system was beneficial in a multitude of ways. The techniques I learned regarding active listening and making a PIC (person in crisis) feel heard will not only enable me to connect better with patients in my professional endeavors, but also aid me in my relationships with friends and family.

 

Review of the year

Throughout my first year of college, I have obtained a great deal of knowledge regarding studying, professional development, as well as dealing with personal relationships. The study habits I have obtained have been learned through trial and error. Taking chemistry and calculus together first semester was forced me to prioritize my time in a way that I was not familiar with. Second semester, I had a better idea regarding the rigor of the coursework and was able to prepare appropriately. Health Sciences helped me to prepare for my exams by providing a chemistry review session that was extremely helpful, as well as various sessions of study tables.

Service

This year I completed service at the Wexner Medical Center. I volunteered on patient units and restocked rooms while conversing with patient and their families. I was also able to attend to miscellaneous patient needs. I appreciated this opportunity and looked forward to volunteering every week because I was able to make someone’s hospital stay a little more bearable. Throughout my year of volunteering I was able to engage in some stimulating conversation with patients. It is remarkable what people are willing to chat about while they are bored in a hospital bed. While being able to provide comfort and company to patients was a very uplifting experience for me, I was also able to gain invaluable skills such as learning how to have a cheerful bedside manner. Entering patient rooms was one thing that I felt awkward doing at first, but over time, it became easier and I looked forward to engaging with the patients.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

My name is Shauna Connelly and I am from Seven Hills, Ohio, a small suburb ten minutes from Cleveland. I went to Padua Franciscan High School and graduated from their four year MedTrack program.  During the senior year of this program, I developed an award winning research proposal that dealt with the effect Gluten has on stress in non-celiac individuals. The combination of stress and nutritional research has prompted me to become very aware of what I ingest and how it affects all of my body’s processes. I have known for almost the entirety of my life that I would like to pursue a career in the medical field. I am passionate about keeping fit both mentally and physically and I devote a good portion of my time to ensure both myself and my loved ones engage in healthy life practices. My interest in the medical profession has led me to major in biology and I am currently on the premed track. My interest in a healthy lifestyle has motivated me to join the health science scholars program. My ultimate professional goal would be to become a bariatric surgeon and revolutionize weight loss surgery. I would also like to develop clinic trials regarding the effect early intervention and education can have on overweight/obese patients.