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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Mabel LieORCiD, Dr Caroline ClaisseORCiD
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Background Maternal and perinatal health disparities exist among resettled migrant women in the UK and there is a lack of intervention development to meet their needs. Czech-Slovak Roma women in the UK suffer barriers to antenatal care such as stigma contributing to reduced engagement with health services. Among Arabic-speakers, factors including language and culture, religion and racial stereotyping have influenced their experience of healthcare in the UK.Methods The projects ERicar (Roma) and ERicar2 (Arabic-speakers) aimed to co-create an antenatal care community information resource through storytelling and participatory design research based on their maternity needs. We carried out up to 10 workshops with women from each of these groups (8 Roma, in 2023 and 9 Arabic-speakers, 2024-25), supported by a community coordinator and an interpreter, in a safe community space. Through arts-based techniques such as collage, women were encouraged to contribute key messages to a newly arrived migrant mother about preparing for pregnancy.Results The women’s pregnancy journeys covered topics such as unplanned pregnancies, pregnancy loss and birth trauma. The main message to Roma women was the need to overcome the stigma of seeking help for their mental health. Through QR codes, the co-created zine signposted Roma women to NHS endorsed information and healthcare provision that they found relevant. Arabic-speaking women contributed to an illustrated ‘letter to Dila’, also with QR codes. This was digitally animated with the voices of two of the workshop participants in English and Arabic.Conclusion Engaging with underserved and underrepresented groups of migrant women is possible through trusted community coordinators, meeting in a familiar community space, working flexibly to meet their needs and listening to their stories. Women were empowered to contribute to a resource for their community and maternity services, improving lines of communication between them and reducing poor maternal and perinatal health outcomes.
Author(s): Lie M, Claisse C
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: UK Public Health Science Conference
Year of Conference: 2026
Pages: A34
Print publication date: 01/04/2026
Online publication date: 17/04/2026
Acceptance date: 23/12/2025
ISSN: 0143-005X
Publisher: BMJ Group
URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/UKPHSC-2026-abstracts.80
DOI: 10.1136/UKPHSC-2026-abstracts.80
Series Title: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
