Date of Graduation

Fall 12-18-2026

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Department/Program

Public Health

First Advisor

Courtney Keeler

Abstract

Black birthing people in the United States continue to experience unequal maternal health outcomes, shaped in part by racism and barriers to nutritious food, culturally relevant health education, and supportive community spaces. While prenatal nutrition education and food assistance programs can provide important resources, information alone cannot address the challenges many people face when trying to access healthy and affordable food during pregnancy. The Nourishing Births Initiative is a proposed community-based maternal health program designed to respond to these needs by bringing together prenatal nutrition education, help connecting to food resources, community gardening, and peer support for Black birthing people receiving services through SisterWeb Community Doula Network. The program is guided by a birth justice approach and recognizes that a person's health is influenced by their knowledge, relationships, community, access to resources, and the systems around them.

This paper proposes a mixed-methods program evaluation to understand how the Nourishing Births Initiative may affect participants' experiences during pregnancy. Approximately 30-50 participants will complete surveys before and after the program to assess changes in nutrition knowledge, food access, confidence in making healthy food choices, and feelings of social support. Participant interviews and open-ended survey questions will provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences, with particular attention to the community garden and its role in food access, cultural connection, healing, and building relationships. Looking at survey results alongside participants' own stories will help show not only whether changes occur, but also what those changes mean in participants' everyday lives. A birth justice approach will guide the interpretation of these experiences by considering how participants describe dignity, choice, cultural connection, food, and the broader challenges that shape pregnancy and birth.

Because the Nourishing Births Initiative is a proposed program, anticipated findings include increased nutrition knowledge and confidence, improved access to healthy and culturally meaningful foods, greater use of available food resources, and stronger feelings of connection and support. Participants may also experience the community garden as more than a place to grow fresh food. It may become a shared space where relationships are formed, cultural food traditions are valued, and participants feel a greater sense of connection to their food and their community.

Ultimately, Nourishing Births brings education and practical support together rather than treating them as separate parts of maternal health. By centering both participant experiences and changes that can be measured, this evaluation offers a community-centered approach to understanding how nutrition, food access, gardening, and connection can work together to support Black birthing people and contribute to more equitable maternal health.

Download

Share

COinS