Assessment of Community-Level Barriers For the second written assignment of the course, you will continue in the design of your proposed model program by demonstrating your understanding of vulnerable

[no notes on this page]1Runninghead:VULNERABLEMOTHERSANDCHILDRENVULNERABLEMOTHERSANDCHILDRENTasharaDillardProfessorQuidaDavisHCA430SpecialPopulationsJune22,2020 - 2 -

[no notes on this page]2VULNERABLEMOTHERSANDCHILDRENVulnerablemothersandchildrenVulnerablemothersandchildrenareacriticalpublichealthconcernespeciallyinprogramsaimedatthepreventionandpromotionofhealthamongcommunities(Bulkholder,&Nash,2013).Theessayanalysestheimpactofage,culture,aswellasethnicityonvulnerablemothersandchildren.Italsoaddressestheimpactoftheintersectionalityofpolitical,economic,andsocialfactorsonthevulnerabilityofthemothersandchildrenintendingtoidentifyapotentialcommunityprogramforaddressingtheconcerns.Thecommunityinitiativesaremodeledontheneedtoadoptsustainablehealthpromotion,treatmentandpreventionprogramincommunitieswithvulnerablemothersandchildren.AgeandethnicityMothersandchildrenareundoubtedlyamongthemostvulnerableinthepopulation,astheyarethemostaffectedbydiseases,poverty,andriskofdomesticabuse.MothersandchildreninAfricanAmericancommunitiesstilllackaccesstoqualityhealth,andhence,lowhealthoutcomes(Savage,Anthony,Lee,Kappesser,&Rose,2007).Vulnerabilitydiffersbyageandethnicity.Takingtheexampleofinfantmortalityandmaternaldeathsinthecommunity,thereisnodoubtthatchildrenraisedbyyoungermothershavepoorerhealthoutcomes,andalsosufferhighermortalitythanchildrenfromoldermothers.Thereisalsoadisparityinhealthoutcomesbyethnicity,notingthatAfrican-Americanmothershavehighermaternaldeathsandalsoreportahigherlevelofinfantmortalitythanwhitesandnon-Hispanicwhites.Thedisparityinhealthoutcomesbasedonageandethnicityimpliesaswellthatthevulnerabilityofmothersandchildrenisdirectlyaffectedbyageandethnicity.Political,socialandeconomicfactors - 3 -

[no notes on this page]3VULNERABLEMOTHERSANDCHILDRENThevulnerabilityofmothersandchildrenisimpactedbyacombinationofsocio-politicalandeconomicfactors.Thereisstrongintersectionalityinthefactors.Thesocialunderpinningsofvulnerabilitiesincludetheethnicityofthemothers.Althoughethnicityplaysaroleinthedisparityofhealthoutcomes,whenitconcernsmaternaldeathsandinfantmortality,atthesametimethereisalsoadisparityinthesameethnicitybasedontheclassandincomeofthemother.EducatedAfrican-Americanmothersaremoreabletotakecareoftheirhealthandchildren,andcanalsoaccessqualityhealthcareasopposedtotheircounterpart.Thelackofeducationasasocialfactoralsointertwineswiththeabilitytogetajobandaccessqualityinsurancewhichinturnsyieldstohighmaternalandinfantmortalities.Ofspecialtheoreticalsignificanceisthefactthatwhenthisiscomparedtowhites,thehealthdisparityisunevenlydistributed.HealthoutcomesamongwhitemothersappearlessimpacteduponbyclassandopulenceinthesamemanneritaffectsAfricanAmericansandNon-HispanicWhites.Itmerelydemonstratesthatalthoughethnicityisinseparablyintertwinedwitheconomicwellbeing,thismightnotbethecasewhenonemovesfromonecommunitytotheother.Oneofthepoliticalfactorsthatexplaintheimpactoftheintersectionbetweenraceandtheeconomicwellbeingofmothersandchildrenonhealthoutcomesispublicpolicy.Publicpoliciesdirectlyimpactonhealthoutcomesandthevulnerabilityofmothersandchildren.Atthepoliticallevel,legislationneedstobeenactedthataddressesinequalityandattemptstobridgethegapintheavailabilityofhealthservicesforunderservedcommunities(Alioetal,2010).Aheavilyprivatizedhealthprogram,whichispureinscope,forexample,mayonlyservetowidenthegapbetweenthedeservingcommunitiesandthewell-up,whichinturnmayaddtothevulnerabilityofmothersandchildren.Recommendedprogram - 4 -

[no notes on this page]4VULNERABLEMOTHERSANDCHILDRENMothersandchildrenfromthecommunitiesareatahigherriskofmaternalandinfantmortalities.Itfollowsthedirelackofresourcesaswellashealthcarefacilitiesinthecommunity.Mostwomen,becausetheylackhealthinsuranceprefertogivebirthathomethroughthecareoflocalmidwives.However,whencomplicationsoccurboththelifeofthemotherofthechildislost.Ontheotherhand,thedirelackofresourcesisexacerbatedbyalackofcontraceptionwhichalsoimpliesthatyoungmotherscannotaccessthejobmarket.Mothersareatriskmainlybecausetheycannotaccessreproductivehealthcareservices.Thereisanurgentneedforahealthpromotionandpreventionprograminthecommunity.Thehealthpromotionthatisneededissensitizingthecommunityontheneedforfamilyplanningaswellasengagingincommunityempowermentprogramsaimedathelpingyoungmothersfindmeaningfulemployment.Thepreventionandtreatmentprogram,ontheotherhand,targetsmothersandchildrenwithbetterhealthcareservices,throughtheavailingofqualityandexperiencedcommunityhealthcareworkers.Thatbeingsaid,therecommendedprogramforthecommunityincludesprovidingamobileclinicfacility.Thisiscriticalforthereductionofmaternalandinfantdeaths,asitwillensurethatmotherswhocannotaccesshospitalscanfindtheimportantchilddeliveryservicesrightonthedoorstep.Themobileclinicfacilitywillprovideadvicetomothersonreproductivehealthandhencetheyarecriticalforhealthpromotion,prevention,andtreatment. - 5 -

[no notes on this page]5VULNERABLEMOTHERSANDCHILDRENReferencesAlio,A.P.,Richman,A.R.,Clayton,H.B.,Jeffers,D.F.,Wathington,D.J.,&Salihu,H.M.(2010).AnecologicalapproachtounderstandingBlack–Whitedisparitiesinperinatalmortality.MaternalandChildHealthJournal,14(4),557-566.Burkholder,D.M.,&Nash,N.B.(2013).Specialpopulationsinhealthcare.SanDiego,CA:BridgepointEducation,Inc.Savage,C.L.,Anthony,J.,Lee,R.,Kappesser,M.L.,&Rose,B.(2007).ThecultureofpregnancyandinfantcareinAfricanAmericanwomen:Anethnographicstudy.Journaloftransculturalnursing,18(3),215-223.