PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 30, 2021 – Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, in partnership with community-based providers from Maternal Wellness Village under the auspices of Oshun Family Center, have been approved for a 5-year, $5.99 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to compare two approaches for reducing heart disease risk factors in Black birthing people. The overarching goal of the study is to eliminate disturbing disparities in heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, among Black women and birthing people during and after pregnancy.
While it is well established that eating healthy and monitoring blood pressure can help prevent heart disease, a single individual-level approach that addresses these behaviors on their own has not been enough to stop the rising Black maternal mortality rate. Researchers have also established that depression, social isolation, and stress from racism lead to poor heart outcomes, but few studies have treated these psychosocial and structural factors in addition to individual behaviors to ensure optimal Black maternal heart health, particularly for mothers at higher risk, including those with high blood pressure and/or obesity.
To fill this treatment gap, the research team plans to compare two approaches that address multiple factors leading to heart disease. Both approaches will use text messaging to support healthy nutrition and physical activity and will include home blood pressure self-monitoring. Both approaches will also provide training to medical care providers to reduce patients’ experiences of racism or mistreatment. However, only one of the approaches will add support for Black women by Black women. The research team wants to find out if these additional supports lead to lower blood pressure, treat social isolation and depression, and increase experiences of respectful care.
“Amazing things happen when those with resources and the commitment to allyship listen to Black women,” said Saleemah McNeil, MS, MFT, Co-Principal Investigator and the Program Director of Maternal Wellness Village, a collective of Philadelphia-based Black birth workers.
This study seeks to increase Black mothers’ understanding of the many influences on their heart health and to help Black women with obesity and/or high blood pressure make informed decisions about their care to reduce risks for heart disease during pregnancy or in the first year after their baby is born. Results of the study may also strengthen health systems’ commitment to anti-racism training as part of their efforts to provide quality health care for Black pregnant and postpartum people. This research may also provide evidence to insurance companies that coverage of this study’s package of supports is needed.
“Achieving equitable cardiovascular health care requires a commitment to listen to Black women and recognize that their input is vital for meaningful solutions to pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality,” said Sharon J. Herring, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Program for Maternal Health Equity at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Co-Principal Investigator on the study. “We are thrilled that our research has been selected for funding.”
PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. For more information about PCORI’s funding, visit www.pcori.org
