The Problem Persistent disparities in maternal and child health outcomes across the U.S. reflect the impact of structural and social stressors on mothers. These disparities are especially pronounced among minoritized and low-income communities. Dr. Fathima Wakeel’s research focuses on conceptualizing and measuring maternal resilience, defined as protective factors that help address or reduce exposure to stressors. The Approach To investigate these issues, Dr. Wakeel and her collaborators: Developed a conceptual framework for maternal personal capital, published in 2013 and 2014. Conducted community-engaged research in the Lehigh Valley more recently to identify and validate culturally-relevant, multilevel components of maternal resilience that women can draw upon over the life course. Plan to expand this research to examine the relationships between maternal resilience, family resilience, and parental and child health outcomes. Informing Strategies to Promote Maternal Resilience “Our work aims to shift the narrative from risk to resilience— supporting birthing people not just to survive, but thrive.” Fathima Wakeel, PhD, MPH Short Term Impact Developed validated measures of maternal resilience for research and practice. Delivered actionable guidance to providers and policymakers. Longer Term Impact Inform maternal health interventions to promote maternal resilience. Guide policies to address systemic barriers to maternal health. Strengthen collaboration across health care, public health and community sectors to improve outcomes. Societal Impact Funding for this research will support the development of validated measures of maternal and family resilience and provide actionable guidance to providers and policymakers on strengthening protective factors in high-risk populations. This work offers societal benefits in the following areas: For more information visit https://health.lehigh.edu/research-partners or email INRSRCH@lehigh.edu 31 Community/Culture: Equips local organizations with evidence needed to integrate culturally-relevant resilience-building strategies. Policy: Supports maternal health policy reforms that foster resilience, not just risk mitigation. Education: Enhances training programs for maternal health professionals in strengths-based approaches.
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