Scholarlink

<p>Black women’s health care decision-making reflects a complex interplay of personal discernment, relationships with providers, and broader social conditions. Such decision-making is sometimes portrayed in deficit terms<i>,</i> but liberation psychology suggests decision-making practices may reflect critical awareness, resilience, and intergenerational wisdom<i>.</i> This semi-systematic literature review examined qualitative research to synthesize factors shaping Black women’s health care decision-making. Guided by established standards for literature reviews and thematic analysis, 32 U.S.-based studies were identified and analyzed across diverse health contexts, including maternal care, cancer, reproductive health, and HIV. Three interrelated themes emerged: personal discernment, or the ways Black women draw upon emotions, self-education, and trusted networks to navigate care; providers and systems, highlighting how interpersonal interactions with providers and systemic policies shape engagement; and generational lessons, reflecting the influence of normative lessons, mistrust, and a communal calling on health choices. Together, these findings demonstrate that Black women’s decision-making is relational, historically situated, and grounded in strategies of survival and resistance. Rather than pathologizing mistrust, a decolonial reframing recognizes these practices as sites of expertise and autonomy. Implications include the need for health care systems and providers to adopt approaches that honor relational autonomy, integrate cultural knowledge, and engage in intentional trust-building. This review contributes to reframing health care decision-making not as adaptation to oppressive systems but as an expression of agency, resilience, and possibility.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Beyond Mistrust: A Semi-Systematic Review of Black Women’s Health Care Decision-Making

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月22日

查看全文
  • Renata Sledge,
  • Sha-Lai Williams,
  • Deanna Granger,
  • Jeanna Knight

摘要

Black women’s health care decision-making reflects a complex interplay of personal discernment, relationships with providers, and broader social conditions. Such decision-making is sometimes portrayed in deficit terms, but liberation psychology suggests decision-making practices may reflect critical awareness, resilience, and intergenerational wisdom. This semi-systematic literature review examined qualitative research to synthesize factors shaping Black women’s health care decision-making. Guided by established standards for literature reviews and thematic analysis, 32 U.S.-based studies were identified and analyzed across diverse health contexts, including maternal care, cancer, reproductive health, and HIV. Three interrelated themes emerged: personal discernment, or the ways Black women draw upon emotions, self-education, and trusted networks to navigate care; providers and systems, highlighting how interpersonal interactions with providers and systemic policies shape engagement; and generational lessons, reflecting the influence of normative lessons, mistrust, and a communal calling on health choices. Together, these findings demonstrate that Black women’s decision-making is relational, historically situated, and grounded in strategies of survival and resistance. Rather than pathologizing mistrust, a decolonial reframing recognizes these practices as sites of expertise and autonomy. Implications include the need for health care systems and providers to adopt approaches that honor relational autonomy, integrate cultural knowledge, and engage in intentional trust-building. This review contributes to reframing health care decision-making not as adaptation to oppressive systems but as an expression of agency, resilience, and possibility.