Submit to Healthcare Review for Healthcare Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Social Determinants of Health Disparities and Inequities in Reproductive and Maternal Health

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 19265

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ileana B. Heredia-Pi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Center for Health Systems Research, The National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico
Interests: public health; ethnic disparities; maternal health care; sexual and reproductive health services; adolescent health; health disparities; inequities

Prof. Dr. Edson Serván-Mori

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Center for Health Systems Research, The National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico
Interests: health disparities; health inequality; social protection for health; maternal health; child health; reproductive health; impact evaluation; applied statistics; econometrics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the social determinants of health (SDHs) as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” [1]. These determine the existence of a social gradient in health caused by the unequal distribution of power, income, goods, and services at global, national, and sub-national levels, resulting in consequent unfairness in individuals’ level of access to health care (financial protection, health services/resources coverage, use, and quality), schools, and education, the conditions of their work and leisure activities, homes, communities, and towns or cities, and their chances of leading a prosperous and successful life [2]. Therefore, policymakers’ understanding of these determinants’ impact on health and health disparities is important to inform the design of policies with the aim of increasing equity.

The social gradient in health is visible throughout one’s entire life course, and social determinants also impact the health of individuals of reproductive age. Tackling health disparities and inequities in reproductive and maternal health to inform the design of robust and innovative policies and actions aimed at the SDHs is still urgently needed in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [2]. Evidence on the social determinants of health in the reproductive-age population is scarce because they are often considered to be healthier, experience fewer adverse social determinants, and can deal with them more effectively [3]. This Special Issue of Healthcare seeks commentaries, original research, short reports, and reviews addressing topics related to the SDHs and health disparities in reproductive and maternal health in LMICs.

This Special Issue aims to provide an updated panorama of the current situation in relation to the persistent gaps in coverage, health services use, and quality of care between socially disadvantaged and socially privileged individuals with regard to reproductive and maternal health needs.

Topics of interest include:

modern contraception utilization and coverage;
antenatal/post-natal health services coverage and quality;
access to safe abortions;
maternal morbidity/mortality;
funding for family planning and maternal health programs;
national policies addressing reproductive and maternal health disparities.

References

[1] World Health Organization (WHO). A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. Social Determinants of Health Discussion Paper 2 (Policy and Practice). 2010. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241500852 (accessed on 22 July 2022).

[2] World Health Organization (WHO). Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. 2008, Geneva. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-IER-CSDH-08.1 (accessed on 22 July 2022).

[3] van der Meer, L.; Barsties, L.S.; Daalderop, L.A.; Waelput A.J.M.; Steegers E.A.P.; Bertens L.C. Social determinants of vulnerability in the population of reproductive age: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2022, 22, 1252. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13651-6.

Prof. Dr. Ileana B. Heredia-Pi
Prof. Dr. Edson Serván-Mori
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

social determinants of healths
health care disparities
health equity
quality of health care
reproductive health
family planning
maternal health
maternal mortality
pregnancy complications
healthcare financing
health policies

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Other

14 pages, 683 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socioeconomic Inequalities and Factors Associated with the Use of Modern Contraceptive Methods in Women of Childbearing Age in Ecuador, 2018

by Sandra Callata-Cardenas, Fátima Milagros del Rosario Peña-Cerna, Akram Hernández-Vásquez and Diego Azañedo

Healthcare 2023, 11(16), 2293; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11162293 - 14 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1037

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the socioeconomic inequalities and factors associated with the use of modern contraceptive methods (MCM) in the population of sexually active women of childbearing age in Ecuador. This was an analytical observational study, based on a secondary data analysis of the 2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT). Information on 19,106 sexually active, married, or cohabiting women between the ages of 15 and 49 were included. Concentration curves (CC) and Erreygers concentration indices (ECI) were calculated, taking into account the use of MCM as the dependent variable and the wealth index as the independent variable. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using generalized linear models of the Poisson family. We found that 92.8% of the women surveyed used some type of MCM in the last month. A higher educational level presented a significant pro-rich concentration in the use of MCM (EIC: 0.05; p = 0.004). On the other hand, women belonging to the age group of 20 to 29 years (ECI: −0.027; p = 0.027), women with no job (ECI: −0.025; p = 0.004), and non-indigenous women (EIC: −0.031; p < 0.001), presented a pro-poor concentration. Factors significantly associated with MCM use were age, marital status, occupation, parity, ethnicity, area of residence, and living on the coast. In Ecuador, there are socioeconomic inequalities at different levels of population subgroups in women of childbearing age. Measures to promote the use of MCM are required, focusing on groups that present inequality, taking into account the factors associated with their use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Determinants of Health Disparities and Inequities in Reproductive and Maternal Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 972 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Listen to the Whispers before They Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States

by Anuli Njoku, Marian Evans, Lillian Nimo-Sefah and Jonell Bailey

Healthcare 2023, 11(3), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030438 - 3 Feb 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 16990

Abstract

Black women in the United States (U.S.) disproportionately experience adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal mortality, compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups. Historical legacies of institutionalized racism and bias in medicine compound this problem. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color may further worsen existing racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. This paper discusses structural and social determinants of racial disparities with a focus on the Black maternal mortality crisis in the United States. We explore how structural racism contributes to a greater risk of adverse obstetric outcomes among Black women in the U.S. We also propose public health, healthcare systems, and community-engaged approaches to decrease racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Determinants of Health Disparities and Inequities in Reproductive and Maternal Health)

► Show Figures