By Kayla Hurt, MSPH
“By fostering a supportive environment for participants, we can continue to uncover important narratives and advocate for meaningful solutions to pressing issues like maternal health disparities.”
Editor’s note: In honor of Black Maternal Health Week 2024*, we dedicate this blog post to Black mothers everywhere. Learn more here.
The HealthFul EAting in the PoSTpartum Period Study (F.E.A.S.T.) led by Dr. Michelle Ogunwole, is a qualitative study using focus groups and the photovoice method to explore neighborhood and household food environments of Black mothers. In the postpartum period, lack of sleep, postpartum mood disorders, breastfeeding, and caring for a newborn in addition to other familial obligations, may pose additional stress and time constraints that ultimately impact healthful eating. By exploring the intersection of culture, environmental influences, and individual behaviors, this research aims to inform the development of practical and culturally relevant interventions tailored to the needs of African American mothers, ultimately aiming to address racial disparities in obesity-related maternal health outcomes. Photovoice WorldWide played a huge role in providing expertise and support to enable participants to capture and share their experiences through photography.
Our photovoice project comprised five consecutive weekly sessions of an hour and a half each. We opted for a virtual format due to the busy schedules of both our staff and participants. This choice offered several advantages, notably accommodating participants who needed to work or take care of young children in the evenings, enabling them to still engage in our weekly sessions. Conducting our sessions virtually also presented some challenges, particularly in establishing connections in virtual spaces. Conversations flowed differently, lacking the spontaneity and depth often found in face-to-face interactions. While it was an advantage (and also a stated group norm) that people could participate in any capacity they were able and free to have their children join, we also found that participants were not able to sit with their cameras on the whole time and focus only on the group.
In my role within the study, I focused on recruiting and retaining participants. I am a 2023 graduate of the Bloomberg School of Public Health, where I earned my MSPH in Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health. For my Master’s thesis, I explored a variety of recruitment and retention methods noted to facilitate participation for Black pregnant and postpartum individuals in clinical research trials. For the FEAST study, participants were recruited from the Healthy for Two/Healthy for You, a study at Johns Hopkins University focused on wellness in pregnancy. All FEAST participants had to be a Black postpartum individual and the primary meal preparer for their families. In addition to recruiting, I organized participant photos and captions for our sessions.
My most valuable takeaway from the FEAST study is knowing I was a small part of a project attempting to amplify marginalized voices through participatory methods like photovoice.
It is empowering to share your story and hear from participants as they share their stories and perspectives through imagery. One particularly special theme in our project was the importance of including all members of their families in their meal preparation routines. This was demonstrated through mothers bringing their toddlers along to the grocery store and pushing the child-size cart, combining math lessons with snack time, and most importantly setting aside time to enjoy meals together.
One aspect of the project that I feel will have a lasting impact is the potential for influencing future research and policies concerning maternal health disparities, particularly among people of color. After facilitating a second photovoice group, our team plans to compile the photos and captions and host a large in-person exhibit, to highlight the voices of moms. Displays such as this are important community building opportunities that truly put into perspective how valuable our work is. Projects like FEAST have the power to shed light on systemic issues and drive change in healthcare practices and policies.
I learned so much through my first experience with this form of research. One piece of advice I would give to those looking to facilitate photovoice projects is to prioritize creating a comfortable, judgment-free space for participants. Photovoice hinges on trust and openness, as participants share intimate aspects of their lives through imagery. As researchers, it’s important to recognize that participants are the experts in their own experiences, and our role is to listen and learn from them. By fostering a supportive environment for participants, we can continue to uncover important narratives and advocate for meaningful solutions to pressing issues like maternal health disparities.
Overall, my experience working with Photovoice Worldwide has been rewarding. Being introduced to the photovoice method during my time in graduate school and then having the opportunity to apply it in a real-world study has been interesting. The method’s ability to give voice to and capture the narrative of people is truly amazing.
*Held annually on April 11-17th, BMHW is a week-long campaign founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to build awareness, activism, and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. The week is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month and begins on April 11th annually to join dozens of global organizations in marking this day as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights – an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of maternal mortality globally. The activities and conversations hosted throughout the week intentionally center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.