Cravings, Marks, and Open Pores: Acculturation and Preservation of Pregnancy-Related Beliefs and Practices among Mothers of African Descent in the United States

This project explored the reports of traditional pregnancy related health practices of women of African descent in three distinct communities that share historical origins in the cultures of West Africa. Acculturation theory was used as a framework for the exploration and comparison of the beliefs and practices reported by women whose communities have had different historical experiences with migration and acculturation. Sierra Leonean women living in Atlanta, Georgia; Gullah women on St. Helena Island, South Carolina; and African American women from Chattanooga, Tennessee, were interviewed. A comparison of their reports showed most frequent and detailed reports of spiritually related beliefs among the Sierra Leonean women, fewer and less detailed reports among the St. Helena women, and no reports made by the Chattanooga women. Surprisingly, women in all three groups reported practices related to their beliefs about hot and cold conditions of the body in pregnancy and postpartum, and of the direct effects of their behavior on the fetus' development in pregnancy.