McNair Scholar 2020 Raniya Yimam
Raniya Yimam is a Hamline student double majoring in Public Health and Global Studies. Her research focuses in Food insecurity on racial inequality and how the emergence of COVID-19 complicates the existing food insecurity.
My dream is to receive my PHD and establish a non-profit health care institution. These facilities would specifically focus on the intellectually disabled, poor people in the society, and women. I want to be the source of opportunity for young girls and vulnerable community.
Research project
Food Insecurity on Racial Disparity
Abstract: In the US, more than 14.3 million (11.1%) people were reported to suffer from food insecurity in 2018. Levels of food insecurity are higher than the national average of 11.1 percent in Black, non-Hispanic households which was 21.3 percent and Hispanic households which was 16.2 percent. Black non-Hispanic families were almost twice as likely to suffer from food insecurity as compared to national mean (21.3% versus 11.1%). Racial minorities experience pervasive, stubborn and pronounced health inequities. Empirical evidence shows that persons who suffer from racism demonstrate poorer health as compared to persons who do not suffer from it. Structural racism leads to social segregation which is manifested by geographic separation and residential segregation by race. Racial discrimination hinders access to employment and educational opportunities among the people of color contributing to economic and social consequences that could contribute to food insecurity. The study will utilize cross-sectional study design and will be conducted in University of Minnesota, the United States. The study population will include people working with the University of Minnesota’s EAT. The sample size was made up of 50 people and purposive sampling. The sample size will be composed of 50 persons who will be selected from EAT study. The study will employ qualitative data collection and data will be collected via semi-structured interviews. Each interview will last 60 minutes. Thematic analysis will be used to analyze the data.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Jamie Slaughter-Acey is an assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health in the School of Public Health, in University of Minnesota. Dr. Acey’s first degree was on Ocean Engineering, and this was at Texas A & M University. Her Master was acquired from Tulane University while she pursued her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, Illinois. Michigan State University was her base for a post-doctoral degree. Dr. Jamie’s research primarily focused on environmental and psychological factors that influence women’s health across the various life-courses. Nonetheless, the focus was on reproductive and perinatal health of marginalized and /or underserved populations in the US and across the globe. Her research primarily focuses on environmental (social and physical) and psychosocial factors that contribute to women’s health across the life-course, with emphasis on the reproductive and perinatal health of marginalized and/or underserved populations. Her current work integrates social science literature with epidemiological methods to extend my research on racial perinatal health disparities. She have a broad background in both epidemiology and maternal and child health (MCH), with specific training and expertise in key research areas for this application, which aims to examine how racial bias training in perinatal care settings impacts the quality of maternal care. Her postdoctoral research and the research at the beginning of her career as a junior faculty examined dimensions of race and social capital in relation to perinatal outcomes (e.g., preterm birth, fetal growth, and prenatal care use) and led to several peer-reviewed publications.