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Maternal Health Concerns for Pregnant Labor-Trafficked People: A Scoping Review

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Abstract

We set out to map the (1) living/occupational hazards, (2) health outcomes, and (3) barriers to care that exist for pregnant labor-trafficked people. Eight databases were systematically searched based on inclusion criteria. Five papers were eligible for inclusion. Data on study characteristics, social determinants, hazardous exposures, health outcomes, and barriers to care were extracted and synthesized. Common risk factors and occupational/living hazards were identified. Both were thematically connected with barriers to care and a host of adverse health outcomes. More importantly, a significant gap was discovered with no disaggregated quantitative data on the experience of pregnancy among labor-trafficked people. The interaction of risk factors, occupational/living hazards, and barriers to care experienced by pregnant labor-trafficked people may influence their susceptibility to adverse health outcomes. We need population-based studies, informed by those with lived experience of labor trafficking to examine the experience of pregnancy for labor-trafficked people to improve intervention and support efforts for this population.

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Funding

This project is/was partially supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant T76MC00001 and entitled Training Grant in Maternal and Child Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Jaya Prakash, Tahireh Markert, Paul A. Bain & Hanni Stoklosa

  2. Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Tahireh Markert

  3. Countway Library, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Paul A. Bain

  4. Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Hanni Stoklosa

  5. HEAL Trafficking, 236 Ximeno Avenue, Long Beach, CA, 90803, USA

    Hanni Stoklosa

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  1. Jaya Prakash
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  4. Hanni Stoklosa
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Contributions

JP and HS conceived the study. PB designed and executed the search. JP and TM reviewed studies, selected sources, and extracted data. JP, TM, and HS finalized qualitative analysis and thematic selection. HS oversaw and guided the study. All authors were involved in the revision of the draft manuscript and have agreed to the final content.

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Correspondence to Jaya Prakash.

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The authors have no relevant financial, personal, political, intellectual, or religious interests to report.

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This study did not need institutional board or ethics review committee approval.

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Prakash, J., Markert, T., Bain, P.A. et al. Maternal Health Concerns for Pregnant Labor-Trafficked People: A Scoping Review. J Immigrant Minority Health 25, 899–905 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01466-5

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