In 2011, African Americans in Tarrant County, Texas experienced an infant mortality rate of 14.3 per 1,000 live births. The leading cause of infant mortality in Tarrant County is prematurity and maternal nutritional status. Both maternal under-nutrition and over-nutrition are known risk factors for premature birth. Improving maternal nutrition, by reducing rates of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, and by increasing consumption of essential prenatal vitamins and nutrients, is a road to decreasing preterm birth in African Americans. This qualitative study, based on both anthropology and public health theory, of the nutrition behavior of a group of African American expectant mothers and the experience of their health care providers and co-facilitators had a goal to provide a foundation for future development of nutrition behavior research and education for this specific population. The main finding of this study was the substantial gap of lived experience and education between the patients and their providers and co-facilitators, which hinders delivery of care and the patients’ acquiescence to nutrition recommendations. The discrepancies between the authoritative knowledge of the providers and the bodily knowledge of expectant mothers were responsible for the ineffectiveness of nutrition recommendations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc799543 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Fowler, Rebecca (Public health researcher) |
| Contributors | Henry, Lisa (Lisa Renee), Davenport, Beverly Ann, Rossheim, Matt |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | v, 85 pages : color illustrations, Text |
| Coverage | United States - Texas - Tarrant County |
| Rights | Public, Fowler, Rebecca, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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