This paper examines the persistent and alarming disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity affecting African American women in the United States. Drawing on CDC data and peer-reviewed research, it highlights that Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women — a gap that exists despite the United States being among the world's most developed nations. The paper surveys proposed explanations for this disparity, including unconscious bias in healthcare, underlying health conditions, poverty, educational attainment, and structural racism. It also outlines the scope of a descriptive research approach intended to explore interventions targeting this population.
Research question: How can the ongoing disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity — specifically among African American women — in the United States be addressed?
The United States continues to face a worsening maternal mortality crisis, one that disproportionately affects African American women. Despite being among the most developed nations in the world, the U.S. lags behind its high-income peers on maternal health outcomes, and the gap along racial lines remains deeply troubling.
According to Howell (2018), African American women in the United States have a significantly higher likelihood of dying from pregnancy-related causes — approximately three to four times more likely than White women. This finding is corroborated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which observes that "Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women" (CDC, 2023). Njoku, Evans, Nimo-Sefah, and Bailey (2023) similarly conclude that, compared to other ethnic and racial groups in the U.S., African American women experience the worst adverse pregnancy outcomes.
This is particularly striking given that the United States is one of the wealthiest and most medically advanced countries in the world. As Gunja, Gumas, and Williams (2022) note, "New international data show the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. continues to exceed the rate in other high-income countries." The overall U.S. maternal mortality rate, based on the most recently compiled data, stands at 17.4 per 100,000 live births (Taylor, 2020). The fact that African American women face substantially worse outcomes than White women underscores the need to treat this as a pressing healthcare disparity requiring urgent intervention.
A number of reasons and diverse perspectives have been proposed to explain this disparity in health outcomes. Some researchers associate it with the quality of care African American women are able to access. Other contributing factors include unconscious bias in healthcare, the prevalence of underlying health conditions, educational attainment, and poverty. Structural racism has also been identified as a leading driver of the problem. Structural racism can be understood as racial inequality perpetuated through cultural representation, institutional practices, and public policies (Taylor, 2020).
It is also important to recognize that racism is deeply embedded in social, economic, and political systems, all of which may converge to negatively influence maternal health outcomes in the U.S. The solutions proposed to address this disparity are equally varied, ranging from targeted clinical interventions to broader systemic reforms aimed at dismantling structural racism within the U.S. healthcare system.
This paper explores ways of addressing disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity in the U.S., with African American women as the targeted population. A sample of participants will be drawn from this population. The study will examine what prior research has found regarding this topic, relying exclusively on credible sources — including peer-reviewed journal articles, relevant scholarly healthcare resources, and organizational publications. The analysis will be descriptive in nature, synthesizing existing evidence to better understand the scope of the problem and potential pathways toward reducing racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (2023). Working together to reduce Black maternal mortality.
Gunja, M. Z., Gumas, E. D., & Williams II, R. D. (2022). The U.S. maternal mortality crisis continues to worsen: An international comparison.
"Descriptive study design targeting Black women"
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