Exploring the impact of health literacy on pregnant women from ethnic minority groups: a scoping review
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Feldman, Sarah E
Lennox, Laura
Dsouza, Natasha
Armani, Keivan
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Objective
Health Inequalities refer to disparities in healthcare access and outcomes based on social determinants of health. These inequalities disproportionately affect Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, particularly pregnant women, who face increased risks and limited access to care due to low health literacy. Maternal mortality rates for BAME women can be up to four times higher than for white women. This scoping review aimed to assess the impact of health literacy on BAME pregnant women’s health outcomes and experiences. Objectives included evaluating health literacy improvement tools, engaging stakeholders through co-production, and identifying persisting health inequalities.
Data sources
A scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework was conducted. A specific search strategy was developed with a research librarian across three databases: EMBASE, Medline, and the Maternity and Infant Care (MIC) database. Patient, Public Involvement, and Engagement (PPIE) members were consulted from the outset to co-design the research question and to provide feedback on the findings.
Study appraisal and synthesis methods
Out of 1958 articles, 19 were included in the study, with 47% from the US and 21% from Denmark. Articles were published from EMBASE. 47% of the articles measured health literacy, while 53% implemented health literacy interventions, such as digital or community-based approaches.
Results
All 19 articles highlighted lower health literacy in BAME women compared to other groups. Ten proposed recommendations, while others emphasized the impact of social determinants of health, collectively underscoring the need for more research on BAME health.
Conclusions
The review underscores the inadequate health literacy and patient experience of BAME pregnant women. It also highlights the potential of digital health interventions to improve health literacy and health outcomes. The findings call for increased research into health literacy tools for BAME pregnant women. Healthcare systems, including the NHS, should allocate resources to enhance digital health interventions and address health inequalities in BAME groups during pregnancy.
Health Inequalities refer to disparities in healthcare access and outcomes based on social determinants of health. These inequalities disproportionately affect Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, particularly pregnant women, who face increased risks and limited access to care due to low health literacy. Maternal mortality rates for BAME women can be up to four times higher than for white women. This scoping review aimed to assess the impact of health literacy on BAME pregnant women’s health outcomes and experiences. Objectives included evaluating health literacy improvement tools, engaging stakeholders through co-production, and identifying persisting health inequalities.
Data sources
A scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework was conducted. A specific search strategy was developed with a research librarian across three databases: EMBASE, Medline, and the Maternity and Infant Care (MIC) database. Patient, Public Involvement, and Engagement (PPIE) members were consulted from the outset to co-design the research question and to provide feedback on the findings.
Study appraisal and synthesis methods
Out of 1958 articles, 19 were included in the study, with 47% from the US and 21% from Denmark. Articles were published from EMBASE. 47% of the articles measured health literacy, while 53% implemented health literacy interventions, such as digital or community-based approaches.
Results
All 19 articles highlighted lower health literacy in BAME women compared to other groups. Ten proposed recommendations, while others emphasized the impact of social determinants of health, collectively underscoring the need for more research on BAME health.
Conclusions
The review underscores the inadequate health literacy and patient experience of BAME pregnant women. It also highlights the potential of digital health interventions to improve health literacy and health outcomes. The findings call for increased research into health literacy tools for BAME pregnant women. Healthcare systems, including the NHS, should allocate resources to enhance digital health interventions and address health inequalities in BAME groups during pregnancy.
Editor(s)
Morgan, Julia
Date Issued
2024-12-31
Date Acceptance
2024-10-09
Citation
PLoS ONE, 2024, 19 (12)
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Journal / Book Title
PLoS ONE
Volume
19
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
Copyright: © 2024 Feldman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39739745
PII: PONE-D-24-25675
Subjects
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
e0312515
Date Publish Online
2024-12-31