Advancing Maternal Health in the Greater Houston Area
Each year, around 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States. In Harris County, maternal death rates are growing at a faster rate than the national average. Important efforts are being taken to address maternal health issues in the Greater Houston area, including increasing maternal health literacy, expanding access to health services and improving data quality. Significant knowledge gaps, however, continue to exist, particularly for immigrant women. Research shows that they have lower utilization of health care in the months prior to pregnancy and are more likely to delay prenatal care compared to their U.S.-born counterparts. Understanding the factors that increase health risk prior, during and after pregnancy is crucial to inform and guide prevention, intervention, advocacy and policy efforts.
The Kinder Institute’s Paths to Wellness initiative is a multiyear project aiming to improve outcomes for maternal health in priority neighborhoods by:
- Building a robust network of community partners to support outreach. This entails leveraging existing partnerships and expanding liaisons with clinics, health organizations, resource centers and faith-based institutions.
- Conducting a comprehensive community health assessment. In collaboration with network partners, a mixed-methods approach will be used to identify social determinants and compounding factors that influence maternal health disparities.
- Creating a long-term strategic plan. Developed for, with and by community stakeholders, this plan will address priorities and guide effective and sustainable prevention and intervention efforts.
- Disseminating information about the strategic plan. The Kinder Institute will share insights gained to increase awareness, boost community engagement and guide discussions to influence transformative action.
As part of the Paths to Wellness initiative, the Kinder Institute has also created a digital resource that compiles information about health-related services offered by community partners.
The project is made possible with support from the Simón Bolívar Foundation.
