TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal Mortality among American Indian/Alaska Native Women
T2 - A Scoping Review
AU - Heck, Jennifer L.
AU - Jones, Emily J.
AU - Bohn, Diane
AU - Mccage, Shondra
AU - Parker, Judy Goforth
AU - Parker, Mahate
AU - Pierce, Stephanie L.
AU - Campbell, Jacquelyn
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2021.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - Background: Maternal mortality decreased globally by about 38% between 2000 and 2017, yet, it continues to climb in the United States. Gaping disparities exist in U.S. maternal mortality between white (referent group) and minority women. Despite important and appropriate attention to disparities for black women, almost no attention has been given to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize available literature concerning AI/AN maternal mortality. Methods: Databases were searched using the terms maternal mortality and pregnancy-related death, each paired with American Indian, Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, and Indigenous. Criteria (e.g., hemorrhage) were paired with initial search terms. Next, pregnancy-associated death was paired with American Indian, Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, and Indigenous. Criteria in this category were homicide, suicide, and substance use. Results: The three leading causes of AI/AN pregnancy-related maternal mortality are hemorrhage, cardiomyopathies, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. AI/AN maternal mortality data for homicide and suicide consistently include small samples and often categorize AI/AN maternal deaths in an "Other"race/ethnicity, which precludes targeted AI/AN data analysis. No studies that reported AI/AN maternal mortality as a result of substance use were found. Health care characteristics such as quality, access, and location also may influence maternal outcomes and maternal mortality. Conclusions: Despite AI/AN maternal mortality being disproportionately high compared to other racial/ethnic groups, relatively little is known about root causes.
AB - Background: Maternal mortality decreased globally by about 38% between 2000 and 2017, yet, it continues to climb in the United States. Gaping disparities exist in U.S. maternal mortality between white (referent group) and minority women. Despite important and appropriate attention to disparities for black women, almost no attention has been given to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize available literature concerning AI/AN maternal mortality. Methods: Databases were searched using the terms maternal mortality and pregnancy-related death, each paired with American Indian, Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, and Indigenous. Criteria (e.g., hemorrhage) were paired with initial search terms. Next, pregnancy-associated death was paired with American Indian, Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, and Indigenous. Criteria in this category were homicide, suicide, and substance use. Results: The three leading causes of AI/AN pregnancy-related maternal mortality are hemorrhage, cardiomyopathies, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. AI/AN maternal mortality data for homicide and suicide consistently include small samples and often categorize AI/AN maternal deaths in an "Other"race/ethnicity, which precludes targeted AI/AN data analysis. No studies that reported AI/AN maternal mortality as a result of substance use were found. Health care characteristics such as quality, access, and location also may influence maternal outcomes and maternal mortality. Conclusions: Despite AI/AN maternal mortality being disproportionately high compared to other racial/ethnic groups, relatively little is known about root causes.
KW - American Indian/Alaska Native
KW - maternal deaths
KW - maternal mortality
KW - pregnancy-associated maternal mortality
KW - pregnancy-related maternal mortality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100559460&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85100559460&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/jwh.2020.8890
DO - 10.1089/jwh.2020.8890
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33211616
AN - SCOPUS:85100559460
SN - 1540-9996
VL - 30
SP - 220
EP - 229
JO - Journal of Women's Health
JF - Journal of Women's Health
IS - 2
ER -