Previous research has shown that racism in maternity care can lead to higher morbidity and mortality for both mothers and children, regardless of such other factors as level of education or financial background.
– Racism is contrary to the ethical principles of healthcare. With this study, we want to understand how the process of racialisation affect maternity care and how racism can be counteracted, says Fatumo Osman, Associate Professor of Nursing at Dalarna University, who will be heading the project.
The researchers will employ several methods, including a questionnaire study, observations in healthcare and in-depth interviews. The study involves racialised minority women who have given birth in Sweden and the United Kingdom, their partners and healthcare professionals in obstetrics and maternity care. Currently, researchers are looking to contact individuals who would like to participate in the survey.
– We want to get in touch with minority racialised women who have given birth in Sweden over the past ten years as well as their partners so that we can gain a broad picture of their experiences. By participating in the survey, they can help increase knowledge and contribute towards achieving fairer maternity care, says Fatumo Osman, Project Manager and Associate Professor of Nursing at Dalarna University.
The research project has received SEK 5 million in funding from Vetenskapsrådet and is set to run between 2024 and 2026. The results are expected to contribute to both a deeper understanding of how racism affects access to and quality of care as well as the development of anti-racism measures that can be integrated into healthcare practices.
Do you want to participate in the survey? Visit https://survey.du.se/rasismimodravarden
About the Project
Title: EMBARC: Equitable Maternal care and Birth through Anti-Racist Coproduction
Period: 2024–2026
Project leader: Fatumo Osman
Also from Dalarna University: Elin Ternström, Maja Bodin and Sarah Hamed.
Funder: The Swedish Research Council
