Perceived vulnerability to immigration policies among postpartum Hispanic/Latina women in the MADRES pregnancy cohort before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: Research suggests that perceived immigration policy vulnerability has important health implications. Coupled with the mental and physical stressors accompanying the postpartum period and a growing awareness of the discrimination and structural racism experienced by marginalized communities globally, the coronavirus disease 2019 period may have exacerbated stress among vulnerable populations, specifically postpartum Hispanic/Latina women. This study evaluated perceived immigration policy vulnerability (i.e. discrimination, social isolation, and family threats) in early postpartum Hispanic/Latina women in Los Angeles before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: The Perceived Immigration Policy Effects Scale (PIPES) was administered cross-sectionally at 1 month postpartum to 187 Hispanic/Latina women in the MADRES cohort. Respondents between September 2018 and March 2020 were classified as “pre-pandemic” ( N = 128), between March 2020 and July 2020 as “early pandemic” ( N = 38), and between August 2020 and November 2021 as “later pandemic” ( N = 21). Average PIPES subscale scores were dichotomized into “higher” and “lower” groups (⩽median, >median) and logistic regression models were performed. Results: Approximately half of participants had incomes of <$50,000 (50.3%) and were Latin American born (54.6%). After adjusting for age, nativity, education, income, postpartum distress, and employment status, early pandemic respondents had 5.05 times the odds of a higher score on the perceived discrimination subscale (95% CI: 1.81, 14.11), 6.47 times the odds of a higher score on the social isolation subscale (95% CI: 2.23, 18.74), 2.66 times the odds of a higher score on the family threats subscale (95% CI: 0.97, 7.32), and 3.36 times the odds of a higher total score (95% CI: 1.19, 9.51) when compared to pre-pandemic respondents. There were no significant subscale score differences between later pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. Conclusion: Higher perceived immigration policy vulnerability was reported among postpartum women during the early coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic versus pre-pandemic periods. This suggests greater social inequities during the early pandemic period.

Facing a dual threat: Pandemic stress and immigration policy vulnerability on mental health among Latinx immigrant parents

“…However, they found no differences between pre-pandemic reports of policy vulnerability in the ‘later pandemic’ between August 2020 and November 2021, during which time our study took place. Limitations in our measurement of COVID-19 to reflect unique stressors corresponding to the stage of the pandemic may account for the lack of an observed relationship, as may the timing of the survey within the stage of the pandemic (Hernandez-Castro et al, 2022). Exploring the potential for individual immigration status to worsen the stress brought on by health conditions in general, or in future pandemics may better elucidate the relationship of these stressors individually.…”

Shifting Social Support: Mexican-American Women’s Navigation of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postpartum Periods During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Latinas’ experiences during the pandemic share some commonalities with other groups of women, including elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms (Perzow et al 2021; Suárez-Rico et al 2021). However, an emerging body of research also highlights how the pandemic heightened pregnant and postpartum Latinas’ perceptions of discrimination within the healthcare system (Janevic et al 2021) and anxiousness connected to anti-immigrant rhetoric and immigration policy changes during the pandemic (e.g., border closures, potential separation from family) (Hernandez-Castro et al 2022). Thus, it is crucial to apply intersectional frameworks that account for multiple dimensions of Latinas’ experiences during the pandemic.…”