Leanne S. Yinusa-Nyahkoon, ScD, OTR/L
Funded project: THE MOTHERS PROJECT
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy (she/her/hers/herself)
Boston University, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center
Research Scientist, Department of Family Medicine
Research Associate, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
THE MOTHERS PROJECT
MOVING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND HEALTH EQUITY INTO REPRODUCTIVE-CARE SYSTEMS, OR THE MOTHERS PROGRAM AIMS TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE AND NORMS OF REPRODUCTIVE CARE FOR BLACK MOTHERS.
Black women across age groups and educational levels in the US are at least four times more likely to have pregnancy-related deaths than women of any other racial or ethnic group, and experience the highest rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and infant mortality. These disparities have persisted for decades; therefore, we must reimagine and reinvent how we approach their reproductive care.
The proposed next step is to integrate occupational therapy (OT) services into primary reproductive care and collaborate with reproductive care providers to implement an interprofessional reproductive care model tailored to the unique needs and assets of Black mothers. OT practitioners have a unique skill set to adapt clients' environments to support their daily functioning especially as routines and abilities may change as pregnancy progresses. In addition, OTs have extensive knowledge about infant development and milestones, which is vital information for Black women prior to and after delivery, as they are at an increased risk for poor birth outcomes. Imagine what maternal and child health outcomes might be if reproductive care systems centered services around the evolving needs of the mother. The MOTHERS project has the potential to impact reproductive care service delivery; emerging models of interprofessional practice; maternal and child health policies; and health outcomes for Black mothers and their children.
What People Are Saying
Focus on Black Women and Other Women of Color
“While the significant health disparities that disadvantage women of color have increasingly been recognized, unfortunately there are still too few researchers who are sufficiently prepared and committed to addressing these disparities. Dr. Yinusa-Nyahkoon has remained focused on these issues for many years and is well-situated to be successful with her project.
This new approach promises to significantly enhance the health and well-being of Black women to help reduce the continuing disparities in reproductive outcomes.”
Community Presence
“She is well-versed in the requirements for conducting high-quality scientific inquiry and is committed to focusing her inquiry on issues affecting the lives of under-served and at-risk populations.”
— Wendy Coster, Ph.D, OTR/L, FAOT
Professor and Chair Department of Occupational Therapy
Institutional Support
“It is my great pleasure to offer this affirmation of Sargent College’s support for Dr. Leanne Yinusa-Nyahkoon’s MOTHERS project in partnership with the MACE Foundation. I am particularly excited by this opportunity, given the high degree of overlap in our strategic objectives (i.e., health equity, interprofessional practice, translation and implementation of best practices, health policy, and health data sciences). We look forward to the high impact of your well-leveraged support.”
— Christopher A. Moore, Ph.D.
Dean (Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College)
Focus on Black Women and Other Women of Color
“Dr. Yinusa-Nyahkon is perfectly positioned as a collaboration faculty member with the highest potential to succeed. Her proposed MOTHERS project offers an innovative way for Boston Medical Center to respond to maternal and birth inequities. I am confident that her project will be seminal in the battle to achieve equity in obstetric outcomes between racial and ethnic groups. “
Community Presence
“Dr. Yinusa-Nyahkoon has been an extraordinary collaborator with researchers in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has also shown her commitment to health promotion for urban populations and communities of colors through her research endeavors. In her appointment in the Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Family, she has collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to design research projects and implement health interventions at academic and community health centers. She was instrumental in the creation of Gabe and Gabby, web-based health education systems for Black and African American adolescents, men, and women.”
Intervention and Prevention Model - MOTHERS: Moving Occupational Therapy and Health Equity into Reproductive-Care Systems
“Her proposed MOTHERS project offers an innovative way for Boston Medical Center to respond to maternal and birthd inequities. “The MOTHERS project has the potential to serve as a national model in centering services for Black and Brown mothers and supporting, educating, and empowering these women in advance of any adverse outcomes.”
— Katharine O’Connell White, MD, MPH
Vice Chair of Academics Director,
Fellowship in Family Planning Associate Professor