Morgan State University Maternal Health Disparities Research Center

Morgan State University proposes to launch a Morgan State University Maternal Health Disparities Research Center (MSU-MHD-RC) in collaboration with the Baltimore community under the mentorship of the Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions Coordinating Center (MH-RC-MSI-CC). The purpose of the Research Center is to understand the root causes of disparities in maternal mortality maternal morbidity and maternal health outcomes and thus be able to address and eliminate the cause of the steady increase in maternal mortality and morbidity among African American women in the United States. According to abundant literature there are multiple contributing factors to the increasing racial/ethnic disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity including individual-level environmental and system-level factors. Most strategies to address disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity have been at the individual level and improvements have been minimal and difficult to sustain. There is a need for structural and system-level interventions to supplement these individual-level strategies. In addition minority-serving institutions are geographically located in communities with significant disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity but lack the research capacity and infrastructure to address these issues.

Goals and objectives:

The MSU-MHD_RC has four goals. GOAL #1: To build the capacity of Morgan State University to conduct maternal health disparity research. In order to achieve this goal we will: 1a) assess institutional infrastructure and resources and address gaps regarding the planned launch of the MSU Maternal Health Disparities Research Center by the end of Year 1 1b) build infrastructure and gather resources and complete implementation of the MSU Maternal Health Disparities Research Center by the end of Year 1 and 1c) establish a RC research team and draft an RC research plan by the end of Year 1. GOAL #2: To fully understand and address the root causes of disparities in maternal mortality severe maternal morbidity and maternal health outcomes. To achieve goal 2 we will: 2a) conduct quantitative and qualitative CBPR research on priority maternal health topics focusing on prenatal/ birthing/postpartum Doula model of care by the end of Year 2 2b) conduct analyses of research conducted in order to distill promising themes for community-based solutions by the end of Year 3. GOAL #3: To develop community-based solutions to address these disparities and advance health equity in collaboration with the targeted community. To achieve goal 3 we will: 3a) develop and pilot community-informed interventions to improve maternal health outcomes in the target community by the end of Year 4 3b) evaluate intervention outcomes and disseminate recommendations based on the evaluation by the end of Year 4. GOAL #4: To sustain the research infrastructure and expand the breadth of maternal health disparity topics conducted by the faculty and research staff of the XYZ University Maternal Health Disparities Research Center. To achieve goal 4 we will: 4a) continue the research of MSU Maternal Health Disparities Research Center in collaboration with the target community through Year Five and 4b) sustain the research infrastructure of Morgan State University Maternal Health Disparities Research Center beyond the end of Year Five. Methods: Following the establishment of the research center we will conduct a needs assessment of the target community with focus groups surveys and in-depth interviews to identify maternal health barriers and themes. This will inform the drafting of the Research Plan that outlines Center's purpose and ethical principles priority disparities and research topics research implementation timeline and budget for Years 2 and 3.