Healthcare inequities and racism among nigerian immigrant mothers in the united states
1
Women's, gender, and sexuality studies, University of cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2306
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
health inequities among immigrant populations are produced through intersecting structures of race, gender, migration, and caregiving labor. nigerian immigrant mothers are often subsumed within broader black or immigrant health categories, obscuring the distinct ways they experience exclusion within us healthcare systems. drawing on intersectionality and reproductive justice frameworks,¹,² this study examines how nigerian immigrant mothers navigate healthcare access, discrimination, and maternal wellbeing within racialized health institutions.
METHODS:
this qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews with 8 nigerian immigrant mothers residing in cincinnati, ohio. interviews explored experiences with healthcare access, maternal and child health services, interactions with healthcare providers, and perceptions of racism and discrimination. data were analyzed using an equity-centered analytic approach informed by public health scholarship that conceptualizes racism as a structural determinant of health¹,³ and sociological theories of colorblind racism.⁴
RESULTS:
participants reported persistent structural barriers to equitable healthcare, including insurance constraints, high costs, limited access to culturally responsive care, and exclusion from preventative and maternal health services. interpersonal encounters with healthcare providers were frequently characterized by racialized stereotyping, dismissal of pain, and minimization of concerns, reflecting colorblind forms of institutional racism. in response, mothers employed adaptive strategies such as reliance on informal care networks, community-based health knowledge, selective engagement with healthcare institutions, and transnational caregiving support to safeguard their health and that of their children.
CONCLUSIONS:
this study demonstrates how healthcare inequities are lived and managed through everyday caregiving practices at the intersection of race, gender, and migration. centering nigerian immigrant mothers’ experiences highlights the need for equity-driven public health interventions that confront structural and colorblind racism, integrate reproductive justice principles, and expand culturally responsive healthcare delivery. these findings contribute to global conversations on health equity by illustrating how borders and racial hierarchies are reproduced within healthcare systems.
health inequities among immigrant populations are produced through intersecting structures of race, gender, migration, and caregiving labor. nigerian immigrant mothers are often subsumed within broader black or immigrant health categories, obscuring the distinct ways they experience exclusion within us healthcare systems. drawing on intersectionality and reproductive justice frameworks,¹,² this study examines how nigerian immigrant mothers navigate healthcare access, discrimination, and maternal wellbeing within racialized health institutions.
METHODS:
this qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews with 8 nigerian immigrant mothers residing in cincinnati, ohio. interviews explored experiences with healthcare access, maternal and child health services, interactions with healthcare providers, and perceptions of racism and discrimination. data were analyzed using an equity-centered analytic approach informed by public health scholarship that conceptualizes racism as a structural determinant of health¹,³ and sociological theories of colorblind racism.⁴
RESULTS:
participants reported persistent structural barriers to equitable healthcare, including insurance constraints, high costs, limited access to culturally responsive care, and exclusion from preventative and maternal health services. interpersonal encounters with healthcare providers were frequently characterized by racialized stereotyping, dismissal of pain, and minimization of concerns, reflecting colorblind forms of institutional racism. in response, mothers employed adaptive strategies such as reliance on informal care networks, community-based health knowledge, selective engagement with healthcare institutions, and transnational caregiving support to safeguard their health and that of their children.
CONCLUSIONS:
this study demonstrates how healthcare inequities are lived and managed through everyday caregiving practices at the intersection of race, gender, and migration. centering nigerian immigrant mothers’ experiences highlights the need for equity-driven public health interventions that confront structural and colorblind racism, integrate reproductive justice principles, and expand culturally responsive healthcare delivery. these findings contribute to global conversations on health equity by illustrating how borders and racial hierarchies are reproduced within healthcare systems.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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