Research

Our work addresses the multiple determinants of health at the individual, health system, social and policy levels. We seek to understand how women make health care decisions and use services; how providers deliver health care services; and how policies, programs and social contexts affect access and outcomes for diverse communities and populations. We carry this work through an interdisciplinary lens informed by mixed method approaches and aimed at promoting health equity. Current projects reflect four cross-cutting themes.

Unintended and Teen Pregnancy and the Association with Maternal Health

• Population-level Trends in Reproductive Health Outcomes across States
• Contraception Use, Reproductive Health Outcomes, and Costs among Medicaid Eligible Women

Evaluation of Policies and Programs Impacting Women’s Health

• Evaluation of the South Carolina Choose Well Initiative to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy
• From Training to Implementation: Assessing Family Planning Trainings and Barriers to Change in South Carolina
• Women’s Experiences with Postpartum Contraceptive Counseling and Use: A PRAMS Study
• Assessing the Impact of Educational, Housing, Employment and Criminal Justice Policies on Racial Disparities in Birth Outcomes Across Multiple Generations
• Understanding Sociodemographic & Structural Factors Contributing to the Association Between Depression & Alzheimer's Disease Among Women in Rural Central Appalachia

Organization And Delivery Of Reproductive Health Services Across Health Systems

• Family Planning Services at Publicly Funded Health Centers in the Southeast
• Attitudes and Practices of Primary Care Providers in the Southeast towards Contraceptive Counseling and Provision

Access To And Use Of Reproductive Health Services Across Population Groups

• Reproductive Health Experiences and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Women in Two States
• Reproductive Health Attitudes, Beliefs and Experiences among Lesbian and Bisexual Women in Northeast Tennessee
• Contraceptive Use among Women in Opioid Treatment Programs
• Access to Contraception: Changes in Use among Title X Family Planning Users over Time
• Patterns in Contraceptive Access and Use: The Statewide Survey of Women
• Pharmacist Provided Contraception in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia