IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2022i1p685-d1020338.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Application of Intersectionality as a Path toward Equity in Perinatal Health: A Scoping Review

Author

Listed:
  • Tuyet-Mai H. Hoang

    (School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA)

  • Ainslee Wong

    (Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a scoping review to determine how past studies have applied the theory of intersectionality, a critical feminist research paradigm, to understand the physical health and mental health outcomes of perinatal people as a step toward addressing maternal health disparities and injustice. The study includes a review of existing research on maternal physical and mental health outcomes, presents the strengths and limitations of existing studies, and provides recommendations on best practices in applying intersectionality in research to address systemic issues and improve outcomes for the perinatal population. Methods: We conducted an extensive literature search across four search engines, yielding 28 publications using the intersectionality framework that focused on the outcomes of perinatal people, with a total sample of 9,856,042 participants. We examined how these studies applied intersectionality and evaluated them based on three areas: conceptualization, research method, and interpretation/findings. Results: Our findings indicate that maternal health researchers have provided good descriptions of the interaction of systemic inequalities and have used analysis that allows for the examination of interlocking and mutually reinforcing social positions or systems. We find that improvement is needed in the areas of conceptualization, reflexivity, and understanding of power structure. Recommendations are provided in the form of a checklist to guide future research toward an impactful approach to addressing perinatal health disparities. Relevance: Our scoping review has implications for improving applied health research to address perinatal health disparities, mortality, and morbidity. Recommendations are given along with references to other tools, and a guidance checklist is provided to support scholars in creating an impactful approach to applying intersectionality in the goal of addressing maternal health disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Tuyet-Mai H. Hoang & Ainslee Wong, 2022. "Exploring the Application of Intersectionality as a Path toward Equity in Perinatal Health: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-25, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:685-:d:1020338
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/685/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/685/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Altman, Molly R. & Oseguera, Talita & McLemore, Monica R. & Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira & Franck, Linda S. & Lyndon, Audrey, 2019. "Information and power: Women of color's experiences interacting with health care providers in pregnancy and birth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Rachel West & John P. Bartkowski, 2019. "Negotiating Patient-Provider Power Dynamics in Distinct Childbirth Settings: Insights from Black American Mothers," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Bauer, Greta R., 2014. "Incorporating intersectionality theory into population health research methodology: Challenges and the potential to advance health equity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 10-17.
    4. Evelyn J. Patterson & Andréa Becker & Darwin A. Baluran, 2022. "Gendered Racism on the Body: An Intersectional Approach to Maternal Mortality in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1261-1294, June.
    5. Collins, Pamela Y. & von Unger, Hella & Armbrister, Adria, 2008. "Church ladies, good girls, and locas: Stigma and the intersection of gender, ethnicity, mental illness, and sexuality in relation to HIV risk," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 389-397, August.
    6. Papanicolas, Irene & Woskie, Liana R. & Jha, Ashish K., 2018. "Health care spending in the United States and other high-income countries," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87362, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. McLemore, Monica R. & Altman, Molly R. & Cooper, Norlissa & Williams, Shanell & Rand, Larry & Franck, Linda, 2018. "Health care experiences of pregnant, birthing and postnatal women of color at risk for preterm birth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 127-135.
    8. Bowleg, L., 2012. "The problem with the phrase women and minorities: Intersectionality-an important theoretical framework for public health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(7), pages 1267-1273.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sangaramoorthy, Thurka & Benton, Adia, 2022. "Intersectionality and syndemics: A commentary," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    2. Akinade, Temitope & Kheyfets, Anna & Piverger, Naissa & Layne, Tracy M. & Howell, Elizabeth A. & Janevic, Teresa, 2023. "The influence of racial-ethnic discrimination on women's health care outcomes: A mixed methods systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    3. Abrams, Jasmine A. & Tabaac, Ariella & Jung, Sarah & Else-Quest, Nicole M., 2020. "Considerations for employing intersectionality in qualitative health research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    4. OjiNjideka Hemphill, Nefertiti & Crooks, Natasha & Zhang, Wenqiong & Fitter, Fareeha & Erbe, Katherine & Rutherford, Julienne N. & Liese, Kylea L. & Pearson, Pamela & Stewart, Karie & Kessee, Nicollet, 2023. "Obstetric experiences of young black mothers: An intersectional perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    5. Gkiouleka, Anna & Huijts, Tim & Beckfield, Jason & Bambra, Clare, 2018. "Understanding the micro and macro politics of health: Inequalities, intersectionality & institutions - A research agenda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 92-98.
    6. Daniel Demant & Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios & Julie-Anne Carroll & Jason A. Ferris & Larissa Maier & Monica J. Barratt & Adam R. Winstock, 2018. "Do people with intersecting identities report more high-risk alcohol use and lifetime substance use?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(5), pages 621-630, June.
    7. Alvarez, Camila H. & Evans, Clare Rosenfeld, 2021. "Intersectional environmental justice and population health inequalities: A novel approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    8. Silvia Loi & Peng Li & Mikko Myrskylä, 2022. "At the intersection of adverse life course pathways: the effects on health by nativity," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2022-018, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    9. Layland, Eric K. & Maggs, Jennifer L. & Kipke, Michele D. & Bray, Bethany C., 2022. "Intersecting racism and homonegativism among sexual minority men of color: Latent class analysis of multidimensional stigma with subgroup differences in health and sociostructural burdens," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    10. Tyler D. Harvey & Ijeoma Opara & Emily A. Wang, 2022. "Role of the Intersections of Gender, Race and Sexual Orientation in the Association between Substance Use Behaviors and Sexually Transmitted Infections in a National Sample of Adults with Recent Crimi," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-14, March.
    11. Cassandra Carels & Maria Florence & Sabirah Adams & Deborah Louise Sinclair & Shazly Savahl, 2022. "Youths’ Perceptions Of The Relation Between Alcohol Consumption And Risky Sexual Behaviour in the Western Cape, South Africa: A Qualitative Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(4), pages 1269-1293, August.
    12. Evans, Clare R. & Erickson, Natasha, 2019. "Intersectionality and depression in adolescence and early adulthood: A MAIHDA analysis of the national longitudinal study of adolescent to adult health, 1995–2008," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 1-11.
    13. Evans, Clare R. & Williams, David R. & Onnela, Jukka-Pekka & Subramanian, S.V., 2018. "A multilevel approach to modeling health inequalities at the intersection of multiple social identities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 64-73.
    14. Chambers, Brittany D. & Fontenot, Jazmin & McKenzie-Sampson, Safyer & Blebu, Bridgette E. & Edwards, Brittany N. & Hutchings, Nicole & Karasek, Deborah & Coleman-Phox, Kimberly & Curry, Venise C. & Ku, 2023. "“It was just one moment that I felt like I was being judged”: Pregnant and postpartum black Women's experiences of personal and group-based racism during the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    15. Tuyet-Mai H. Hoang & Wan-Jung Hsieh & B. Andi Lee & Kaylee Marie Lukacena & Karen M. Tabb, 2022. "Navigating Pregnancy and the Healthcare System during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study with Perinatal Women of Color," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-13, October.
    16. Fielding-Singh, Priya & Dmowska, Amelia, 2022. "Obstetric gaslighting and the denial of mothers’ realities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    17. Evans, Clare R., 2019. "Adding interactions to models of intersectional health inequalities: Comparing multilevel and conventional methods," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 95-105.
    18. Scott J. Fitzpatrick & Bronwyn K. Brew & Donna M. Y. Read & Kerry J. Inder & Alan Hayes & David Perkins, 2019. "Rethinking Suicide in Rural Australia: A study Protocol for Examining and Applying Knowledge of the Social Determinants to Improve Prevention in Non-Indigenous Populations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-13, August.
    19. Beccia, Ariel L. & Agénor, Madina & Baek, Jonggyu & Ding, Eric Y. & Lapane, Kate L. & Austin, S. Bryn, 2024. "Methods for structural sexism and population health research: Introducing a novel analytic framework to capture life-course and intersectional effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 351(S1).
    20. Bridget Gorman & Justin Denney & Hilary Dowdy & Rose Medeiros, 2015. "A New Piece of the Puzzle: Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Physical Health Status," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(4), pages 1357-1382, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:685-:d:1020338. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.