Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Social Work
Advisor
Lakisha Mearidy-Bell
Abstract
As they begin to shift decision-making from their parents to themselves, many African American adolescent girls embracing motherhood and living with low literacy seek reproductive health services at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). Emerging adult African American mothers engaged in reproductive health services at urban FQHCs are provided services based on the centers’ promulgated health policies. Although FQHC staff assess for health literacy levels, they often do not design organizational processes to support reproductive health mothers with literacy challenges and diverse learning styles, and little is known about how young African American mothers with low literacy experience FQHCs’ reproductive health services. Guided by the life course theory, research questions were centered on emerging adult African American mothers’ lived experience of low literacy and formed perceptions when developing reproductive life goals when engaged in reproductive health care services within an FQHC setting. A phenomenological approach was used with semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 participants recruited through purposeful sampling. Emerging themes were captured through rigorous coding, member checking, and triangulation and included familial roots, literacy development, reproductive engagement and choice, familial belief systems, and reproductive health and life plan. Lessons learned from this study will help social workers, and other health professionals recognize the importance of understanding the multigenerational practices and historical literacy development of reproductive health mothers, and their ability to receive and process information based on learning style, to help foster positive health outcome throughout the life course.
Recommended Citation
Anderson-Reeves, Timika S., "Perceptions of Reproductive Health Services of Young African American Mothers with Low Literacy" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 10086.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/10086
