Life’s Course:  The Load, The Impact

Embarking on a Journey Together

Please join UF Health Jacksonville and partners as we embark on an initiative to increase awareness of the impact of toxic stress, helping women and their caregivers identify coping mechanisms to fight the effects of stress on health and well-being.

Data shows that African American families experience maternal and infant complexities and loss much more than any other racial group.

Toxic: A Black Woman’s Story shares the story of “Nina,” a woman in her second trimester of pregnancy. The film will serve as a backdrop to a conversation on stress, its impact and resources to help mitigate it.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with leaders and physicians from UF Health Jacksonville. Lunch will be provided. Health screenings, blood pressure screenings, free blood pressure machines (while supplies last), and other resources will be available.

Your Involvement Matters

We invite you to join us in this critical endeavor:

• Participants: Stay informed about upcoming events and stay in the know by visiting our social media.
• Supporters/Contributors: Share your expertise and become an integral part of our program team. Contact us to learn more about how you can contribute to this vital initiative.

Ann-Marie A. Knight MHA, FACHE

Vice President, Community Engagement & Chief Diversity Officer, UF Health Jacksonville

LaRae C. Brown M.D., M.H.A., FACOG

Assistant Professor; Medical Director, UF Women’s Health Specialists; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville

Rationale

Preconception and interconception health are widely recognized as areas of opportunities to mitigate infant mortality.  The number one cause of infant mortality is pre-term births, an underlying contributor to pre-term births is chronic stress. Chronic stress impacts maternal health and evidence shows it was further compounded by the pandemic.  Literature highlights the impact of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [1, 2, 3].  Stress, also defined as Allostatic load, is a concept introduced in literature, as early as 1993 [4], and refers to the cost of chronic exposure to environmental challenges that is viewed as stressful to individuals [5].

Across Northeast Florida, though infant mortality rates declined between 2017-2021, despite best efforts data shows the gap between African-American and Caucasian women has widened (see Table 1 and Chart A).  In Duval County, the Health Start Coalition of Northeast Florida and other agencies lead excellent initiatives focused on maternal and infant health.  However, an opportunity exists to contribute to this effort to ‘double down’ on efforts and resources to address needs.

While Caucasian women across NE Florida have experienced a decrease in infant mortality, studies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate that stress, particularly allostatic load, may have a negative impact on positive trends [3, 4,5].  Moreover, for African-American women, while there is slightly favorable trends, allostatic load may reverse that trend and/or widen the gap between them and Caucasian women.

Source:  Florida CHARTS, Division of Public Health Statistics and Performance Management, Florida Department of Health. www.floridacharts.com, Source: CDC.gov

Chart A

Connect With Us

For inquiries or to get involved, please reach out to:

Urban Health Alliance
Email: UHA@jax.ufl.edu
Phone: (904) 244-8415
Visit us on Facebook

Let’s come together and take steps toward building healthier and more resilient communities. Your involvement and support are invaluable, truly making a difference in this shared journey. With empathy and unity, we can overcome challenges and create a brighter future for everyone.

References

[1] Abrams Z, High stress levels during the pandemic are making even everyday choices difficult to navigate, American Psychological Association, Vol. 53, No 4, June 1, 2022

[2] Dickens MJ, Pawluski JL and Romero LM (2020) Moving Forward From COVID-19: Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Maternal Health With a New Conceptual Model. Front. Glob. Womens Health 1:586697. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2020.586697

[3] Thapa SB, Mainali A, Schwank SE, Acharya G. Maternal mental health in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2020 Jul;99(7):817-818. doi: 10.1111/aogs.13894. PMID: 32374420; PMCID: PMC7267371.

[4] McEwen BS, Stellar E. Stress and the individual. Mechanisms leading to disease. Arch Intern Med. 1993 Sep; 153(18): 2093–101.

[5] 2 Sterling P, Eyer J. Allostasis: a new paradigm to explain arousal pathology. In: Fisher S, Reason J, editors. Handbook of life stress, cognition and health. New York: John Wiley; 1988. pp. 629–49.