Social Safety for Black Women in Perinatal Health Care: A Concept Analysis

Introduction

Non-Hispanic Black women and their infants experience the worst pregnancy-related outcomes in the United States. Social safety is a health-relevant resource found in environments communicating safety, connectedness, inclusion, and protection. Approaches promoting social safety may be particularly relevant to preventing adverse perinatal health outcomes among Black women. However, there remains a lack of conceptual clarity. The purpose of this concept analysis was to provide a theoretical clarification of the concept social safety for Black women within perinatal health care.

Methods

PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched using Boolean search strategy. Retrieved articles were managed in Zotero. Duplicates were removed, and each article was assessed and categorized by both investigators. Articles reporting Black women's perinatal health care experiences were included. Thematic analysis guided by Rodgers’ evolutionary method identified defining attributes, antecedents, and consequences of social safety in perinatal care for Black women.

Results

Social safety for Black women is defined as the process of feeling understood, respected, cared for, and in control in perinatal health care settings that make space, care for, and recognize strengths, thereby cultivating safety and empowerment.

Discussion

Social safety offers actionable insights for practice and research that have the potential to drive positive change in perinatal care delivery for Black women. Developing interventions and measurements that are valid, reliable, and reflect social safety are essential to promote positive experiences and equity in health care practices and policies.