183500 Pre- and inter-conception health care: A qualitative study of the pre- and inter-conception healthcare needs and experiences of urban women

Monday, October 27, 2008: 11:15 AM

Jessica P. Bergstrom, MPH , Center for Urban Population Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Milwaukee, WI
Melissa Lemke, MA , Center for Urban Population Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Milwaukee, WI
Claudette Hamm, RN, MHSA , Regional Women's Health Services, Aurora Health Care, West Allis, WI
Chris Van Mullem, RN, MSN , Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, WI
Infant mortality is a growing problem for the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and marked disparities exist in the infant mortality rates for different groups of women in the city. In 2004, non-Hispanic Black women had an infant mortality rate of 19.4 per 1,000 births compared to 5.3 for non-Hispanic white and 4.9 for Hispanic women. To address these disparities, the local healthcare systems formed the Pre- and Interconception Task Force and received funding to explore the issue of provider cultural competency in delivering pre/interconception care. Sixteen focus groups, each with women of different age categories (18-20 vs. 21+), race and ethnicities (African American, White, Hmong and Latina), and conception statuses (pre- and inter-) were held at various community locations. A guide was developed and questions were used across the groups. One focus of the groups was examining the weight with which women regard advice received from a provider when in conflict with their culture or traditions and which source ultimately directs their actions. Preliminary results suggest that the majority of women feel that they are not being asked about how their culture interacts with their healthcare, and that they all have experienced conflicts between provider advice and familial/cultural traditions when it comes to pre/interconception health care, yet have different ways of balancing the conflicting advice. The results will be used to guide future interventions targeted at increasing the cultural competence of local providers in order to improve the health of pre/interconception women and eliminate the disparities in infant mortality.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the differences in pre-and inter-conception needs of women of different races, ethnicities and ages 2. Identify ways health care providers can use these recommendations to improve the care they provide to women 3. Apply knowledge to design interventions that improve the cultural competence of pre- and interconception health care services

Keywords: Women's Health, Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was responsible for coordinating, conducting and analyzing the research to be presented.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.