ABSTRACT

Black women are disproportionately affected by racial disparities in maternal healthcare. Using critical race theory and the agency-identity model, this study examined how pregnant Black women communicated agency and perceived the impact of race in interactions with medical practitioners. Thirty Black women were interviewed about how they communicated with U.S. medical practitioners during pregnancy. Their responses revealed they used preemptive stereotype shields, self-agency, and information seeking on digital platforms to enhance interactions with practitioners. Also, some women argued for race-centered care and offered insights to Black mothers and to medical practitioners. Conversely, some women were uncertain about the effect of race on their care, while others wanted complete racial neutrality in their treatment. Nevertheless, this study indicates that race impacts maternal healthcare and expands understanding of stereotype threat, the sociocultural agency identity, and racial neutrality. Finally, the study may be used to support future health communication interventions regarding maternal care.

摘要

黑人妇女在孕产妇保健方面受到种族差异的影响尤为严重。本研究使用批判性种族理论和代理身份模型，研究了怀孕的黑人妇女如何沟通代理并感知种族在与医生互动中的影响。采访了 30 名黑人女性，了解她们在怀孕期间如何与美国医生交流。他们的回答表明，他们使用先发制人的刻板印象盾牌、自我代理和在数字平台上搜索信息来加强与从业者的互动。此外，一些女性主张以种族为中心的护理，并向黑人母亲和医生提供见解。相反，一些女性不确定种族对其护理的影响，而另一些女性则希望在治疗中完全保持种族中立。尽管如此，这项研究表明，种族会影响孕产妇保健，并扩大对刻板印象威胁、社会文化机构身份和种族中立性的理解。最后，该研究可用于支持未来有关孕产妇保健的健康沟通干预。