Black Maternal Health

The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting the African-American community. A recent analysis indicates that counties with majority African-American populations account for more than 50% of COVID-19 cases and 60% of deaths. The toll on African-American women could be even greater, as they are overrepresented in low-income essential jobs, such as nursing aides, sanitation and food service where social distancing may not be an option. Additionally, African-American women are more likely to have risk factors for COVID-19, including hypertension and obesity. The occupational and health risks associated with COVID-19 may further exacerbate adverse birth outcomes among African-American women, including higher risk for maternal and infant mortality, as well as low birth weight. To this end, it is important to document the health, social and mental health concerns regarding pregnancy for Black/African-American women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this project is to gain a better understanding of concerns being shared on twitter related to pregnancy for Black/African-American women during the COVID-19 crisis. We hope to use this information to better understand the needs of Black/African-American women and to inform interventions to appropriately address these needs.

Contributors to this project include Adam Bradley, Ashley Champagne (CDS Lead), Patrick Rashleigh, Justin Uhr