Research Day
RACE AND INTERSECTIONALITY: WOMEN'S STORIES OF POWERLESSNESS AND INVISIBILITY IN HEALTHCARE
Document Type
Abstract
Date
2021
Abstract
Background: Black women experience higher rates of infant mortality and adverse birth outcomes compared to white women. Structured inequity, along with interpersonal discrimination, are primary contributors. Within Kalamazoo County, black mothers are twice as likely to live in poverty, report experiencing discrimination on a regular basis and are significantly more likely to have inadequate prenatal care.
Research aims: To understand women's personal experiences with medical providers, explore their expectations of medical providers and practices, and examine variations by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
Methods: One-hundred-and-seventy-eight women were pre-recruited from the Mom's Health Experience Survey. Fifty-seven of them participated in Community Voice Panel (CVP) focus groups. Twelve focus groups were conducted by two female facilitators and discussed women's experiences spanning from home life to medical office experiences and back. All focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and consensus-coded for themes.
Results: Thematic analysis revealed differences in treatment of women of color (WOC) in the health care system. Powerlessness and invisibility were pervasive feelings in WOC, described as feeling "like a mouse in a corner."The intersection of class, age, and gender with race exacerbates the power differential women experience. Women also described positive provider experiences and strategies to improve the provider-WOC patient relationship.
Conclusion: WOC described systematic discrimination within the healthcare system and gave suggestions for improving the quality of care. Their suggestions serve as a call to providers to challenge their methods of delivering healthcare to WOC to improve health outcomes and overall experiences.