Maternal health disparities among Puerto Ricans

Abstract

The primary causes of death in females – i.e., causes of over 1 million deaths – are cardiovascular diseases, infectious and parasitic diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and infections, unintended injuries, and perinatal conditions. Given the significant role of women in families, loss of women can result in further poverty, higher mortality among children, food insecurity, and children being withdrawn from school. The World Health Organization (WHO) identified four main risk factors contributing to these causes of death: tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, malnutrition, and limited physical activity. If pregnant or immediately postpartum women are exposed to these risk factors, there are significant health effects on maternal and pediatric outcomes. The economic consequence of exposure to these risk factors is not trivial.

We propose that any effective intervention should be culturally tailored to the intended audience. This has obvious benefits in terms of initial acceptance and continued sustainability. We further propose that in these efforts, Puerto Rican women remain a high priority given their high level of vulnerability.