Commentary: An Equitable Approach to Serving Structurally Marginalized Communities.

As the United States grapples with social injustices, greater attention is being placed on the historical lack of equity practices among health and social service organizations that serve marginalized and predominantly racially minoritized communities. We describe strategies health and social service organizations that partner with community-led organizations must take to ensure actionable equitable changes. The opportunity and promise are upon us to resolve health inequities and promote equity-oriented practices, policies, systems, and social-environmental changes.

Association between sociodemographic characteristics and age stopped breastfeeding on early childhood weight status.

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological studies have suggested that breastfeeding is associated with child weight status. However, the length of breastfeeding in relation to child weight remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigated the association between age stopped breastfeeding and child weight status by sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis utilized a nationally representative sample of 3248 U.S. children ages 2-6 years from 2009 to 2018, from parents interviewed as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Child body weight and height were measured during physical examination. Information on age stopped breastfeeding and other demographic characteristics were assessed using questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between age stopped breastfeeding and child weight status, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Children breastfed for ≤ 11 months had an increased odds of being overweight and obese with the strongest association observed among those classified as obese (OR=2.12; 95%CI 1.23, 3.64) compared with children breastfed for > 11-24 months. The association between breastfeeding and child weight status was observed by racial/ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic white and Black children breastfed for ≤ 11 months had an associated increased likelihood of being overweight than their counterparts breastfed for > 11-24 months. Among Hispanic children, we observed elevated odds of being obese when breastfed for ≤ 11 months (OR=1.98; 95%CI 1.00, 3.91) than those breastfed for > 11-24 months. CONCLUSION: Child weight status was associated with age stopped breastfeeding, where likelihood of being overweight and obese were greatest among children breastfed for ≤ 11 months.

Psychometric Testing of the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) Among Black Gay, Bisexual, and Other Sexual Minority Men (SMM) and Black Transwomen in the Deep South: The MARI Study.

Spirituality is a well-established protective psychosocial determinant of health. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) among Black gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men (SMM) and Black transwomen (TW) in the Deep South. Data were collected via self-interview technology and analyzed using factor analyses and correlation coefficients. We demonstrated a single-factor structure of the DSES with high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.96). DSES was positively and significantly associated with multiple dimensions of religion, resilience, optimism and social support and not significantly associated with cynicism and anger expressions. Spirituality should be included in HIV prevention, treatment and care strategies focused on Black SMM and Black TW, especially those residing in the Deep South, USA.

A Call to Transform Maternal and Child Health Mentorship to Build Inclusivity, Honor Diversity of Experiences, and Tackle the Root of Health Disparities.

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship should be a transformative experience that propels mentees from one point in their career to another and drives personal growth. Within the field of maternal and child health (MCH), it is considered a critical professional duty. However, MCH has yet to explicitly embrace mentorship practice as a means to address workforce challenges including turnover, knowledge loss, and undue burden on the part of historically oppressed individuals and communities to overturn oppressive systems. CALL TO ACTION: We advocate for public calls for diversity and equity to be met with strategic enhancement of the practice of MCH mentorship. Transformative MCH mentorship should be used to promote positive identity formation, understanding of self in context, efficacy, and sustained commitment to working with MCH populations in ways that are inclusive and prevent the perpetration of the problematic power dynamics that lead to inequitable outcomes. RECOMMENDATIONS: We present recommendations to strengthen MCH mentorship practice. At the individual level, there should be a refreshment of norms and expectations, where mentorship is seen as a uniquely flexible opportunity for mutual learning. At the organizational level, embedding mentorship in all aspects of practice helps establish and sustain a culture of belonging. This transformative organizational culture can attract and retain future generations of professionals that are not only more representative of the populations that MCH programs support but are prepared to authentically elevate the needs and strengths of those populations. These suggestions incorporate best practices from other fields and include ideas for the MCH field in particular.