Which factor is linked to maternal mortality disparities across racial groups?

Which factor is linked to maternal mortality disparities across racial groups?

• A. Genetic differences
• B. Structural racism and discrimination
• C. Access to care is uniform
• D. Climate change alone

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that structural racism and discrimination shape health outcomes. Racial disparities in maternal mortality arise not from biology alone but from how society is organized—how economic opportunities, housing, environmental exposures, and access to quality health care are distributed, and how bias and unequal treatment occur within the health system. These systemic factors place pregnant people from marginalized racial groups at higher risk for complications, delays in care, and poorer outcomes, reflected in higher maternal mortality rates. Genetic differences don’t account for the broad, population-level gaps seen across racial groups, and access to care is not uniform in the real world—barriers like affordability, insurance coverage, transportation, and discrimination contribute to worse outcomes. Climate change can affect health in many ways, but it isn’t the primary driver of the specific racial disparities in maternal mortality.

The key idea is that structural racism and discrimination shape health outcomes. Racial disparities in maternal mortality arise not from biology alone but from how society is organized—how economic opportunities, housing, environmental exposures, and access to quality health care are distributed, and how bias and unequal treatment occur within the health system. These systemic factors place pregnant people from marginalized racial groups at higher risk for complications, delays in care, and poorer outcomes, reflected in higher maternal mortality rates.

Genetic differences don’t account for the broad, population-level gaps seen across racial groups, and access to care is not uniform in the real world—barriers like affordability, insurance coverage, transportation, and discrimination contribute to worse outcomes. Climate change can affect health in many ways, but it isn’t the primary driver of the specific racial disparities in maternal mortality.