Living in a lower-quality neighborhood is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms in the general population as well as among pregnant and postpartum women. However, little is known of the important pathways by which this association occurs. We proposed a model in which perceived stress and social support mediated the effects of neighborhood quality on depressive symptoms during pregnancy (measured by the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression, CES-D, scale) in a sample of 1383 African American women from the Detroit metropolitan area interviewed during their delivery hospitalization. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we built a latent variable of neighborhood quality using 4 measures (neighborhood disorder, neighborhood safety/danger, walking environment, overall rating). We then tested two SEM mediation models. We found that lower neighborhood quality was associated with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy (standardized total effect=.16, p=.011). We found that perceived stress partially mediated the neighborhood quality association with depressive symptoms. Although the association of social support with depressive symptoms was negligible, social support mediated associations of neighborhood quality with perceived stress [standardized path coefficient=.38 (.02), p=.009]. Our results point to the need for public health, health care, as well as non-health related interventions (e.g. crime prevention programs) to decrease overall exposure to stressors, as well as stress levels of women living in poor quality neighborhoods. Interventions that increase the levels of social support of women during pregnancy are also needed for their potential to decrease stress and ultimately improve mental health at this important time in the life course.

Purpose-This study sought to examine whether perceived interpersonal racism in the form of racial micro aggressions was associated with preterm birth (PTB) and whether the presence of depressive symptoms and perceived stress modified the association. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Methods-Data HHS Public Access Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author Manuscript depressive symptomatology was measured by the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) dichotomized at ≥23. Restricted cubic splines were used to model non-linearity between perceived racism and PTB. We used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess general stress perceptions.Results-Stratified spline regression analysis demonstrated that among those with severe depressive symptoms, perceived racism was not associated with PTB. However, perceived racism was significantly associated with PTB among women with mild to moderate (CES-D score ≤22) depressive symptoms. Perceived racism was not associated with PTB among women with or without high amounts of perceived stress.Conclusions-Our findings suggest that racism, at least in the form of racial micro aggressions, may not further impact a group already at high risk for PTB (those with severe depressive symptoms), but may increase the risk of PTB for women at lower baseline risk.

Background Racism has been hypothesized as a barrier to accessing healthcare. No quantitative study has directly assessed its influence on women's initiation of prenatal care (PNC). We examined the relationship between PNC entry and experiences of personal and group racism among low-income African American women. We also examined whether the use of denial of racism as coping mechanism was associated with a delay in accessing PNC. Methods Using a prospective/retrospective cohort design we collected data from 872 African American women (prenatally: n=484; postpartum: n=388). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the overall denial of racism index and PNC initiation. Findings PNC entry was not significantly associated with personal experiences of racism (p=0.33); it was significantly associated with group experiences (p<0.01). Conclusion Denial of racism experienced by other AAs was a barrier to early PNC among low-income African American women. Delayed access to PNC may be rooted in the avoidance of racialized experiences among less empowered women when faced with discrimination. Our findings have important implication for the engagement of African American women into the PNC delivery system and the health care system postpartum.

Objective: Examine how food insecurity is related to emerging adults’ food behaviors and experiences of neighborhood safety and discrimination, and identify resources needed to support their health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design: Rapid-response, online survey. Participants completed the 6-item U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, a brief measure of food insufficiency, and measures of food behaviors, neighborhood safety, and discrimination. Open-ended questions were used to assess changes in eating behaviors during COVID-19 and needed resources. Setting: C-EAT (COVID-19 Eating and Activity over Time) study invitations were sent by email and text message to a longitudinal cohort. Participants: A total of 218 emerging adults (mean age=24.6±2.0 years, 70.2% female) completed a survey in April-May 2020 during a stay-at-home order in Minnesota. Results: The past year prevalence of food insecurity was 28.4%. Among food insecure respondents, 41.0% reported both eating less and experiencing hunger due to lack of money in the past month. Food insecure respondents were less likely than those who were food secure to have fruits/vegetables at home and more likely to have frequent fast-food restaurant meals, feel unsafe in their neighborhood, and experience discrimination during the stay-at-home order. Food insecure adults reported changes including eating more food prepared at home, eating more take-out restaurant meals, and purchasing more energy-dense snacks as a result of events related to COVID-19. Resources most needed to support their health included eligibility for more food assistance and relief funds. Conclusions: Food insecure emerging adults experience many barriers to maintaining healthful eating patterns during COVID-19.

Introduction: Literature posits that discrimination can be a barrier to racial and ethnic minorities' healthcare use. This study examines the relationship between perceived discrimination in the form of racial microaggressions and delayed prenatal care in African American women. It also investigates whether this relationship is modified by women's shade of skin color owing to societal attitudes and beliefs tied to colorism (also known as skin-tone bias). Methods: Data were collected from a cohort of 1,410 black, African American women in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, enrolled in 2009−2011 (analyzed between August 2017 and July 2018). Perceived racial microaggressions were assessed using the 20-item Daily Life Experiences of Racism and Bother scale. Logistic regression modeled the relationship between the Daily Life Experiences of Racism and Bother scale and delayed prenatal care, defined as third trimester or no prenatal care entry. Results: Nearly a quarter (24.8%) of women had delayed prenatal care. Logistic regression models showed that a Daily Life Experiences of Racism and Bother score above the median was associated with delayed prenatal care (AOR=1.31, 95% CI=1.00, 1.71). This association was moderated by selfreported maternal skin tone (interaction p=0.03). A higher Daily Life Experiences of Racism and Bother score was associated with delayed prenatal care among African-American women at either end of the color continuum (light brown: AOR=1.64, 95% CI=1.02, 2.65; dark brown: AOR=2.30, 95% CI=1.20, 4.41) but not in the middle (medium brown women). Conclusions: Skin tone−based mistreatment in tandem with racial discrimination in the form of racial microaggressions may influence African American women's use of prenatal care. These findings have implications related to the engagement of women of color, particularly African American women, in healthcare systems and maternal and child health programs.