Maternal Health Among Women in Harris County, Houston, Texas

Maternal Health Among Women in Harris County, Houston, Texas

Population vulnerability is the outcome of the interplay between exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability. These three elements assist in determining the likelihood that various populations may be impacted by a certain stressor, such as an environmental shift, disease epidemic, natural disaster, or civil unrest ( Wardrop et al., 2021).

This essay examines the idea of population vulnerability with a particular emphasis on expectant mothers in Houston, Texas, Harris County. Utilizing a multidisciplinary methodology, it explores the several elements that lead to their susceptibility and highlights the necessity of customized solutions.

Concept Map Overview

Pregnant women in Harris County are a particularly susceptible group because they encounter particular physical and social difficulties during this pivotal time in their lives. Communication obstacles resulting from language and cultural differences hinder the diverse population of Harris County while seeking healthcare services—inadequate comprehension of medical data results in less-than-ideal maternity care and medical consequences. Consequently, women in Harris County suffer from infectious illnesses such as Obesity, diabetes (Ramah et al., 2020), and heart disease, which makes them vulnerable community once they are pregnant. Numerous factors, including biological, social, and healthcare-related characteristics, affect this population’s susceptibility.

Diverse communities in Harris County have differing levels of access to medical resources. Systemic obstacles that some racial and ethnic groups may encounter include few transit options, subpar healthcare facilities in their communities, and maternal care. Maternal death and morbidity rates are higher among Black women in Harris County; in 2020, the rate of maternal death in Harris increased to 79%, indicating inequities in maternal health outcomes (Understanding Houston). Developing targeted interventions requires understanding the local characteristics, such as inequalities in healthcare practices, that contribute to these discrepancies. In Harris County, socioeconomic differences affect racial and ethnic minorities. These differences include differences in chances for work, income, and education.