January 20, 2014

Caring for our Generations: Supporting Native Mothers and Their Families

The University of Washington, a Pacific Northwest Tribal Health Center and a Pacific Northwest Tribal College joined together to learn more about the health needs of Native American women who are or may become mothers. The Caring for Our Generations: Supporting Native Mothers and Their Families project is funded through a grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) (1R01DA029001, 09/30/2009-08/31/2014). Team members on the project include UW Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Tessa Evans-Campbell (Snohomish), Co-PI Dr. Cynthia Pearson, Glenda Breiler (Colville), Katie Shultz (Choctaw) and Chris Charles (Cowichan/Nanaimo/Duwamish)

 

This project explored maternal health behaviors, maternal substance use, and risk factors for substance use during and after pregnancy, and protective factors that support healthy maternal behaviors. This study proposed five aims:     1) Conduct qualitative formative research with mothers aged 18-55, Native health providers, and elder/traditional healers;  2) Conduct survey interviews with community members to establish baseline data related to maternal health outcomes, protective health behaviors, risk factors for substance use during and after pregnancy, and social support for mothers;     3) Develop a culturally-based intervention targeting adult American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) mothers in the Pacific Northwest; 4) Translate and disseminate the findings to the tribe and prepare translational materials for community members and service providers; and         5) Expand research infrastructure at a Pacific Northwest Tribal Health Clinic and increase research capacity in the tribal community. The supplemental grant to this study built upon the parent grant aims to explore factors related specifically to HIV/AIDS and other diseases transmitted sexually and through drug-using behaviors (e.g., Hepatitis-C, Human Papilloma Virus) among AI/AN women in the Pacific Northwest.

 

We recently received a no-cost extension for our fifth year of the study and will continue to prepare publications from each phase of the study, develop a community report for our tribal partners and plan for a pilot intervention based on study findings to address maternal health and wellness.