{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,17]],"date-time":"2026-05-17T07:07:04Z","timestamp":1779001624075,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]],"date-time":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743638400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"Creating Whole Communities Grant, University of Missouri, St. Louis"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Qual Health Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Maternal empowerment, particularly by enhancing resourcefulness and support systems, has emerged as a promising approach to address inequities. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black low-income women during the postpartum period and the interplay between cultural context, resourcefulness, and motherhood. The study employed a novel methodological approach that combined focused ethnography with grounded theory analysis. Six focus groups (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 35) were conducted with Black mothers who had given birth within 5\u00a0years and were self-identified as low-income. Data analysis followed grounded theory principles of constant comparison and theoretical sampling. A grounded theory emerged, \u201cthe journey to empowered motherhood includes both navigation and transformation.\u201d Three categories, (1) individual context, (2) strength alongside relationships, and (3) transition to motherhood, developed this theory which describes a dynamic process whereby mothers navigate sociocultural landscapes, leading to a transformed sense of self. This study offers insights into the complex nature of maternal empowerment among Black low-income mothers. The findings underscore the need for interventions that focus on fostering mothers\u2019 existing strengths and abilities within their specific sociocultural contexts, culturally sensitive maternal care that acknowledges and addresses the unique contextual challenges faced by Black low-income mothers, and a shift in perspective from deficit- to strength-based approaches in maternal health.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/10497323251318213","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,4]],"date-time":"2025-04-04T04:00:33Z","timestamp":1743739233000},"page":"669-680","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Black Low-Income Mothers\u2019 Experiences With a Local Peer Support Group: A Qualitative Exploration"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"36","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-4241-633X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christina","family":"Castellano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Missouri St. Louis"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_6_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10597-015-9854-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-022-05100-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1257\/aer.20180511"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-0009.12442"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781848608337.n11"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_3_6_7_1","first-page":"CD010880","article-title":"Peer support for people with schizophrenia or other serious mental illness","volume":"4","author":"Chien W. 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