Knowledge and Awareness of Vitamin D Among Pregnant or Lactating Iraqi Refugee Women: a Call for Different Approaches in Health Education and Outreach

Published in Journal of Refugee and Global Published in Journal of Refugee and Global Health (2022)

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and lactation has negative impacts on maternal, fetal, and infant health. Low health literacy and other social determinants of health may increase the risk of deficiency among refugee women. This qualitative study used a survey and in-depth individual interviews to examine knowledge of vitamin D among ten pregnant or breastfeeding Iraqi refugee women in the United States, and sought participants’ recommendations on culture-centered and participatory health promotion strategies.