Women of Wellness (WOW)

Background 

Health disparities affecting Black women and babies appear to be less dependent on age, economic status or education than for women of other racial or ethnic groups. Black women die in childbirth at four times the rate of other women in all populations. Though infant mortality overall has been on the decline in California, mortality rate for Black infants remains two to four times higher than rates for other racial/ethnic groups. The goal of the Perinatal Equity Initiative is to improve birth outcomes and reduce mortality for Black infants through evidence-based interventions.

Roots Community Health partners with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department – Black Infant Health program to provide preconception, interconception, and personal support services. This Perinatal Equity Initiative named Women of Wellness (WoW) provides education, motivation, and support for Black women to achieve optimal health and wellness Black women in Santa Clara County.

 

Program Design 

  • Group wellness activities 

Women of Wellness group sessions cover topics including but not limited to: nutrition, exercise, stress management, preconception, prenatal, and postpartum health.

Group sessions include education, discussions, and interactive activities. Participants can also schedule one-on-one sessions with the Maternal Health Navigator to discuss goals and develop personalized plans to achieve their goals.

  • WoW 6-week Wellness Challenge 

The WoW 6-week wellness challenge aims to encourage physical activity. For a duration of 6 weeks, participants engage in physical activity through virtual workouts (live and recorded). Participants also receive a weekly newsletter that covers various nutrition topics, recipes, workouts, and wellness tips to promote women’s health and wellness. The WoW 6-week challenge is conducted on a quarterly basis. Enrollment in the wellness activities is continuous (participants can join anytime).

  • WoW Cook and Chat 

The WoW Cook and Chat is a nutrition workshop that includes an interactive nutrition activity. The activities of the Cook and Chat include an educational presentation, a discussion, games, and a cooking demonstration. The topics discussed during the WoW Cook and Chat include reading food labels, identifying specific nutrients for women’s health, ethnic foods, and more.

  • WoW Wellness Wednesday 

The WoW Wellness Wednesday is a safe space for participants to discuss mental health, identify their mental health needs, and find tools to promote mental wellness. Some topics of Wellness Wednesday include mindfulness, arts therapy, stress management, and conversations with a Licensed professional.

  • Individual Maternal Navigation sessions 

Maternal navigation consists of personal support and education to program participants regarding physical health and wellness, mental wellness, nutrition, family planning, appropriate spacing between pregnancies, safe sleep, and other topics relevant to participants. The Maternal Navigator administers an adapted version of the CDC curriculum “Steps to a Healthier me and baby-to-be” as a tool to guide conversations with program participants.

 

All women (including pregnant, postpartum, etc.) are welcome to join! Join us for 6 weeks of fitness and newsletters full of new & healthy recipes to try.

Sign up with this link: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/roots-community-health-center-women-of-wellness-wow-33111250581

*make sure that you sign up for each event individually in order to receive the zoom link* 

Contact Nkemka at (510)-998-7335 or at [email protected] for more information.

Recipes

 

Check out our, “Hey Sis, Let’s Chat” Podcast!

The overall goal of “Hey Sis, Let’s Chat!” is to broaden knowledge and influence lifestyle changes that contribute toward the nutritional, physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health of African-American women. This program will expand on components of an existing Roots program (PEI: Perinatal Equity Initiative) that strives to improve birth outcomes and reduce mortality among mothers and babies through evidence-based interventions.

 

 

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