{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T03:59:47Z","timestamp":1790308787196,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]],"date-time":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752019200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"HRSA-funded Maternal Health Research Center (MHREACH)","award":["UR6MC50354-02-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UR6MC50354-02-00"]}]},{"name":"CareSource Foundation","award":["UR6MC50354-02-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UR6MC50354-02-00"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Maternal mortality and morbidity are critical health challenges in the U.S., and building the perinatal workforce is a key to providing high-quality maternal medical care and services. Texas Southern University (TSU), home to a Doctor of Pharmacy program, launched the first Maternal Health Education and Research Training (MHERT) program to educate a cohort of high school, pharmacy, and health sciences students. Aiming to raise awareness of maternal health issues, build research skills, and promote action-based solutions. MHERT integrated online self-paced interactive lessons with hands-on research or community projects. Topics included maternal health epidemiology, causes of morbidity and mortality, research methods, literature reviews, and the development of action plans addressing maternal health challenges. Assessment tools included quizzes, open-ended reflection responses, training surveys, and course evaluations. Running from 3 June to 26 July 2024, the program enrolled 22 students. All participants completed both course components. Course evaluations showed strong and consistent satisfaction with the program, with teaching effectiveness rated at 95% and 96% for mid-program and final evaluations, respectively. MHERT enhanced participants\u2019 understanding of maternal health, improved research skills, and encouraged community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. It offers a scalable model to strengthen public health education among high school, pharmacy, and health sciences students.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22071092","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]],"date-time":"2025-07-10T07:38:27Z","timestamp":1752133107000},"page":"1092","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Developing a Maternal Health Education and Research Training Program for High School, Pharmacy, and Health Sciences Students"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Grace","family":"Olorunyomi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cecilia","family":"Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kennedi","family":"Norwood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lashondra","family":"Taylor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jazmyne","family":"Jones","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kimberly","family":"Pounds","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kehinde","family":"Idowu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5717-4293","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dominique","family":"Guinn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Education, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Denae","family":"King","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Veronica","family":"Ajewole-Mwema","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0557-2297","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ivy","family":"Poon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Esther","family":"Olaleye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"The White House (2024, December 10). The White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis: Two Years of Progress. 10 July 2024, Available online: https:\/\/bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2024\/07\/10\/the-white-house-blueprint-for-addressing-the-maternal-health-crisis-two-years-of-progress\/."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Texas Department of State Health Services (2024, December 10). Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and Department of State Health Services (MMMRC-DSHS) Joint Biennial Report 2024. 1 September 2024, Available online: https:\/\/www.dshs.texas.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/legislative\/2024-Reports\/2024-MMMRC-DSHS-Joint-Biennial-Report.pdf."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1673","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2021.306375","article-title":"Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Maternal Mortality in the United States Using Enhanced Vital Records, 2016\u20132017","volume":"111","author":"MacDorman","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Kaiser Family Foundation (2024, December 10). Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Available online: https:\/\/www.kff.org\/other\/state-indicator\/primary-care-health-professional-shortage-areas-hpsas\/."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2485","DOI":"10.1007\/s10995-022-03506-2","article-title":"Impact of a Community Health Worker (CHW) Home Visiting Intervention on Any and Adequate Prenatal Care Among Ethno-Racially Diverse Pregnant Women of the US Southwest","volume":"26","author":"McCue","year":"2022","journal-title":"Matern. Child Health J."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e045014","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-045014","article-title":"Addressing Maternal and Child Health Equity through a Community Health Worker Home Visiting Intervention to Reduce Low Birth Weight: Retrospective Quasi-Experimental Study of the Arizona Health Start Programme","volume":"11","author":"Sabo","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"DiPietro Mager, N., Bright, D., and Shipman, A.J. (2022). Beyond Contraception: Pharmacist Roles to Support Maternal Health. Pharmacy, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy10060163"},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"U.S (2024, December 10). Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Workforce, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Projections of Supply and Demand for Women\u2019s Health Service Providers: 2018\u20132030. March 2021, Available online: https:\/\/bhw.hrsa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/bureau-health-workforce\/data-research\/projections-supply-demand-2018-2030.pdf."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Nearpod (2024, December 11). Foster a Love of Learning in Every Student. Available online: https:\/\/nearpod.com\/."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/22\/7\/1092\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:07:04Z","timestamp":1760033224000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/22\/7\/1092"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"references-count":9,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph22071092"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph22071092","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]}}}