{"id":861,"date":"2026-02-19T22:44:54","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/nurture-nj\/?p=861"},"modified":"2026-03-10T16:30:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T16:30:38","slug":"women-of-colors-perinatal-experiences-new-insights-from-a-large-qualitative-study-in-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/nurture-nj\/women-of-colors-perinatal-experiences-new-insights-from-a-large-qualitative-study-in-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"Maternal Health Investments in New Jersey Show Progress, but Barriers Persist"},"content":{"rendered":"

A large community-based participatory research study of women of color highlights perinatal experiences and opportunities to further strengthen policies<\/h3>\n

A study from community researchers partnering with Rutgers Health faculty and staff offers an in-depth look at the pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum experiences of women of color in New Jersey \u2013 finding both meaningful progress and continued inequities persist in the state\u2019s maternal care.<\/p>\n

Published in\u00a0Behavioral Medicine<\/em>, the\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0relied on a study team that included six Black mothers who interviewed 96 Black and Latina women throughout the state who had given birth within the past two years. The research is part of a broad evaluation of\u00a0Nurture NJ<\/a>, the state\u2019s package of policies and programs enacted to improve maternal and infant health with a focus on equity.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Jersey has made significant policy investments to improve maternal health, particularly through initiatives like Nurture NJ,\u201d said\u00a0Leslie M. Kantor<\/a>, chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the\u00a0Rutgers School of Public Health<\/a>\u00a0and lead author of the study. \u201cThis study helps us understand how these efforts are experienced by women of color, which highlights areas that need further investment.\u201d\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

The research found that while prenatal care was largely accessible, barriers remained. While most participants reported being able to access care early in pregnancy and described positive interactions with providers, a subset of participants reported experiences of discrimination and stereotyping. Some participants expressed fear of being perceived as \u201cdifficult\u201d if they raised any concerns with their health care providers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur findings also highlighted that women actively sought clinicians who share their own racial and ethnic background, which helped participants feel safer and more respected,\u201d said Kantor.<\/p>\n

The researchers also found some women experienced financial strain because of co-payments, uncovered services and transportation costs despite having health insurance. Others described navigating confusing and impersonal health systems. There were geographic differences in the ability to access service throughout the state, which are further explored in a paper that is under review.<\/p>\n

\u201cInsurance alone does not eliminate barriers,\u201d said Kantor. \u201cTransposition, indirect costs and system navigation impact women\u2019s prenatal experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Participants in the study overwhelmingly reported receiving strong support from family and friends. Many also benefited from community-based organizations, peer support groups and postpartum mental health services.<\/p>\n

For example, women who worked with doulas described positive experiences. However, access to doula services varied widely. Some participants also reported receiving postpartum visits from nurses that conduct home visits as part of New Jersey\u2019s universal home visiting program,\u00a0Family Connects NJ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The study\u2019s community-based participatory research model involves community members who were trained to serve as researchers. They were involved in every aspect of the research, from determining appropriate data collection methods to designing, collecting and analyzing data, to authoring the resulting scientific papers. They have been working with Kantor since 2019 and have been involved in both the evaluation of Nurture NJ and a\u00a0statewide evaluation of Centering Pregnancy<\/a>, a group model of prenatal care.<\/p>\n

New Jersey has undertaken more than 70 legislative and regulatory actions to address maternal and infant health disparities, including postpartum insurance coverage, doula support and universal nurse home visitation.<\/p>\n

The researchers conclude that while prenatal access and social supports are strained in many areas, New Jersey state officials must continue to strengthen reproductive care practices, expand awareness of support services, diversify the prenatal health care workforce and address transportation barriers.<\/p>\n

A scientific article from the Nurture NJ Evaluation study has been published in Behavioral Medicine:<\/p>\n

Women of Color\u2019s Perinatal Experiences: New Insights from a Large Qualitative Study in New Jersey<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Kantor, L.M., Adams, C., Akhimien, C., Abdulkadir, F.A., Battle, C., Oluwayemi, M. Salimon, O. Won, S.H., Ibitoye, M., Dogbey, M.C. (2026). Women of Color’s Perinatal Experiences: New Insights from a Large Qualitative Study in New Jersey. Behavioral Medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Explore more of the ways Rutgers research\u00a0<\/em>is shaping the future<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A large community-based participatory research study of women of color highlights perinatal experiences and opportunities to further strengthen policies A study from community researchers partnering with Rutgers Health faculty and … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4429,"featured_media":886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaternal Health Investments in New Jersey Show Progress, but Barriers Persist - Nurture NJ Evaluation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/nurture-nj\/women-of-colors-perinatal-experiences-new-insights-from-a-large-qualitative-study-in-new-jersey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maternal Health Investments in New Jersey Show Progress, but Barriers Persist - 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