African American Mothers' Perceptions of Infant Mortality Factors

Infant mortality is a direct reflection of the socioeconomic health disparities on public health. Although infant mortality rates have declined for most racial and ethnic groups, health disparities continue to exist for non-Hispanic blacks. Researchers have focused on the ongoing global and domestic issues of infant mortality regarding race and ethnicity. However, there are continuing disputes about how the challenges of health disparities and social determinants contribute to infant mortality. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of urban African American women toward infant mortality. This study included 10 African American mothers between the ages of 18 and 35, with a history of delivering a premature, low-, or very-low birth weight baby. The Social Ecological Model was used to assess how these women viewed the social and environmental factors that influence individual health. In this study, African American women were asked to share their lived experiences related to being pregnant, raising children, the health care delivery system, and their perception of infant mortality factors. The participants discussed a variety of challenges within the health care delivery system that may influence the infant mortality rate among African American women, namely, lack of education, scarcity of community resources, poor financial status, lack of availability of and accessibility to healthcare services, and inability to acquire health insurance. The positive social change implication of this study is found in understanding the perspectives of African American mothers' perception of infant mortality and their views on what public health policy makers and health care providers should provide to African American women during childbearing years.