Inequalities in Healthcare
Pregnancy related mortality rates indicate clear racial and economic disparities in the healthcare system. The pregnancy related mortality rate among Black women is over three times higher than among White women in the United States (Vilda et al., 2019). There is an urgent need to understand the reasoning behind this inequality and these deaths in order to promote equity and to save lives.
There are many different aspects that contribute to inequality in the healthcare system. Economic, environment, and social conditions all play a role. However, the effects that these conditions have on pregnancy related mortality rates have not been properly researched or greatly known. In order to better deal with these issues of inequality in the healthcare system — and to be able to come up with solutions, these conditions must be researched and fully understood.
Income Inequality
The economical inequalities in the United States impact many different aspects of living, including the quality of the healthcare people receive. Pregnant Black women in the United States not only have a higher rate of mortality, but their newborns also experience higher infant death rates (Vilda et al., 2019). While there are few studies that connect these maternal and birth outcomes to the effect of income inequality, there are studies that show areas with greater income inequalities are associated with an increase in poor mental and physical health among women.
There was a study conducted in order to determine the effects of state level income inequality on pregnancy related mortality rates. The study found that there was a lack of association between income inequality and mortality rates among white women which could suggest that income inequality could be the leading cause of the racial inequity in maternal death. As income inequality rose throughout the United States from 2006-2015, the pregnancy-related mortality rates for the entire population did not show a significant increase or association. However, as the income inequality rate rose the black pregnancy related mortality rates rose a significant 46%. This could indicate that the income inequality throughout the United States creates a more negative effect on the healthcare system for Black women.
Environmental Differences
The preterm birth rates for Black women have also been proved to be higher than the preterm birth rates among White women. Black women have preterm birth rates that are more than 50% higher than among white women (Grobman et al., 2018). While economic conditions most likely play a role in these racial disparities, there are also environmental conditions that can cause these effects as well. Black women are more likely to have more perceived stress than White women regardless of income, and there is a strong relationship between psychosocial stress and preterm birth. A study recently detected that measures of psychological and social stress have led to higher preterm birth rates.
Environmental stress can be related to mental health problems, and it can also be caused by racism (Williams, 2018). Racial discrimination causes psychological distress which can lead to an increase of health problems. According to many studies, targets of racism and discrimination are far more aware of the biases and discrimination going on around them. This can cause more stressors that affect their mental and physical health. Racial discrimination is causing more physical health problems can be related to Black women having a higher rate of mortality.
Systemic Change
In order to help solve this issue, policies need to be passed to reduce income inequality (Lynch et al., 2004). Increasing the minimum wage, expanding income tax, and ending residential segregation are solutions that could reduce income inequality in the United States. In order to reduce psychosocial stressors, such as racial discrimination, educating the public on the dangers of racial prejudice is necessary. Teaching critical race theory has been proven to provide a better understanding of the authentic experiences of certain populations in the United States (Ledesma & Calderón, 2015). While there are people who disagree, the proper teachings of critical race theory can benefit society by showing how racism is integrated in our country and the dire need to act to fix it. Solutions to these problems are far greater than a single individual solution, as most of these causes are due to governmental factors as well as societal factors.
Conclusion
Pregnancy related mortality rates remain to be of concern as they continue to grow in the United States. Black women in the United States are particularly at risk of adverse pregnancy related conditions. This can be the consequence of economic conditions as well as social. As states before, Black women face greater psychosocial stress due to discrimination and racism that negatively effect their health. Institutional racism that causes unequal distribution of resources leads to disadvantageous social and economic conditions which all play a role in black women’s healthcare (Leonard et al., 2019). These conditions, economical, social, and environmental, have all been proven to create disparities in the healthcare system. It is vital for more research to be conducted in order to better understand the causes and better determine other reasons for these deaths.
Resources
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