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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Reduce stress: a stress reduction project for pregnant black women
1Ywesley@earthlink.net
Approximately 12% of pregnant Black women deliver prematurely regardless of their age, education, income, or marital status. Stress has been indicated as a cause of preterm labor. This article reports on a project that evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based project designed to decrease stress among pregnant Black women. The program evaluation revealed that 86 pregnant Black women of various ages as well as educational and income levels had significant (p = .003) reduction in perceived stress, and their mean post-intervention salivary cortisol (a biological indicator of stress) did not show the expected 50% increase. Lessons learned from this community-based project suggest that three one-on-one educational sessions can reduce stress in this population.
Approximately 12% of pregnant Black women deliver prematurely regardless of their age, education, income, or marital status. Stress has been indicated as a cause of preterm labor. This article reports on a project that evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based project designed to decrease stress among pregnant Black women. The program evaluation revealed that 86 pregnant Black women of various ages as well as educational and income levels had significant (p = .003) reduction in perceived stress, and their mean post-intervention salivary cortisol (a biological indicator of stress) did not show the expected 50% increase. Lessons learned from this community-based project suggest that three one-on-one educational sessions can reduce stress in this population.
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