Assessing Social Determinants of Health in a Prenatal and Perinatal Cultural Intervention for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Rosalina James,Selisha S Johnson,Tia R Benally,Shelley V Means,Leah R Tanner,Martell A Hesketh

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111079

Abstract

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) refer to cultural traditions and values to guide resilient and strength-based practices to address maternal and infant health disparities. Methods: A case study of a culturally-based educational intervention on AIAN maternal and child health. Results: Cultural teachings have successfully been applied in AIAN behavioral interventions using talking circles and cradleboards, but maternal and child health interventions are not well-represented in peer-reviewed literature. Zero publications included interventions centered around cradleboards and safe sleep. Discussion: There is a need for rigorous published research on culturally based interventions and effectiveness on health outcomes for mothers and babies. Conclusions: This paper discusses how a cradleboard educational intervention incorporates national guidelines to address maternal and infant health while mediating social determinants of health.

Highlights

Accepted: 15 October 2021“There are structural and ornamental parts to a cradleboard
Six themes were developed through the analysis including: addressing social determinants of health with cultural interventions, multigenerational connections, developing supportive networks, connections through cultural teachings, and building resilient communities
They’d gotten special permission to come and spend [time in our cradleboard class] . . . And they were both pregnant and one of them said that her social worker in the system was basically saying, ‘You know that this baby is going to be taken from you

Summary

Introduction

“There are structural and ornamental parts to a cradleboard. The parts come together to surround baby in beauty, tradition, and security.”. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. “With the cradle board we have a little wood . Goes over like a roll bar to protect the baby’s head . In a traditional one, you use rose stem, a really heavy duty one. In our culture rose has medicinal properties. With my sons’ cradle boards and mine, they all have the rosewood hoop.”

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion