Community Care Home Visiting Program to Improve Maternal Health and Reduce Disparities in the Mississippi Delta

What this Trial Is About

Maternal mortality in the United States remains higher than in peer nations and has not decreased since 1990, with severe maternal morbidity also affecting many women. Significant racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities exist, especially in the rural southeast, including the Mississippi Delta, where maternal health outcomes are worse. This research aims to address these disparities by establishing the Mississippi Delta Research Center of Excellence for Maternal Health, focusing on preventable maternal mortality, severe morbidity reduction, and promoting maternal health equity through community partnerships. The study will evaluate two research projects one assessing an evidence-based community health worker home visiting program developed with patient and community input, and the other examining a multilevel communication and health literacy strategy using the PEN-3 sociocultural intervention model. This model will guide 3-4 home visits involving referrals and support to improve patient-clinical linkages and postpartum healthcare engagement, especially among Black women and their families in the Mississippi Delta. Participants will be postpartum mothers or parents aged 18 to 45 living in five target counties. The study will track outcomes such as the number of emergency department visits within the first 6 weeks postpartum and severe maternal morbidity rates up to one year postpartum. The research includes monitoring health outcomes, community trust, engagement in postpartum care, and the effectiveness of the home visits and communication strategies over the study duration.

Mississippi Delta Community Care Home Visits Program