About this Research Topic

Background

It is well-established that the social determinants of health (SDH) highly influence health outcomes and inequities. This is particularly true in low-and-middle income countries, where women are deprived of their basic rights including access to health services, appropriate nutrition, and education. Socio-cultural practices, such as child marriages, forced marriages, cousin marriages, female genital mutilation, and son-preference, undermine women health and well-being. Additionally, various negative stereotypes, such as pregnancy and childbirth-related taboos, dowry and honor-related violence, restrictions on women’s mobility and social participation are significantly associated with women’s health status. To improve women’s sexual and reproductive health, societies must take comprehensive and integrated measures to address these cultural stereotypes and harmful sociocultural practices against women.
A SDH approach dictates that health is shaped importantly by various individual factors and community norms that further enable or constrain health. Individual factors include education, income, ethnicity, and the environment wherein people live (including their families, communities and workplace). Macro-level social factors include the labor market, schools, healthcare systems, legal systems, institutionalized practices, and ideologies. In many low- and-middle-income countries, women are still socially excluded and economically marginalized. They lack opportunities for education, economic growth, and political participation. There are many social drivers associated with maternal health. Many negative life experiences such as infertility and perinatal loss, poverty, discrimination, social inequalities, lack of autonomy, violence, economic dependency, and isolation have long-lasting impact on mothers’ mental health and wellbeing. To comprehensively understand the drive of maternal health, a multilevel and bio-social approach of social determinants of women’s health is integral.
This research topic will add to the maternal health literature which will be useful for academics, researchers, policy makers and program planners across the globe, who are working in maternal health. We seek original articles, systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, and commentaries focusing on the SDH approach for understanding social drivers of maternal health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We are interested in receiving manuscripts that relate maternal health to one/more of the following SDHs:
• Socio-cultural practices
• Women’s education
• Women’s socioeconomic status
• Lack of access to physical and social resources
• Work environment
• Nutritional deficiencies and dietary diversity
• Women’s empowerment and economic opportunities
• Demand and supply side factors related to women’s access to healthcare/healthcare utilization
• Women’s social and bodily autonomy and maternal health
• Social norms, gender stereotypes and misconceptions associated with pregnancy
• Stigma related to infertility and its effect on women’s mental health

Keywords: social determinants, maternal health, pregnancy myths and misconceptions, women's social status, gender mainstreaming

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