Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

This study looks at how connection to one's heritage culture, called "heritage cultural connectedness" may impact maternal stress levels during pregnancy, and how the gut microbiota could play a role in this relationship. Research shows that a strong sense of ethnic identity is linked with reduced stress, but little is known about how this relationship works on a biological level, especially among diverse pregnant individuals. Recent studies explain that the gut microbiota, which is made up of trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive systems, may change based on our ethnicity and is also linked to stress. However, it is still unknown whether the microbiota can connect heritage cultural connectedness and maternal stress. This study will use data from 600 pregnant participants in their second trimester using the Society, Pregnancy, Postpartum & Infant Neurodevelopment (SPPIN) study in Edmonton, Alberta. The study will examine measures of gut microbiota diversity and abundance, levels of perceived stress, and how connected participants feel to their heritage culture using questionnaires and stool samples. By doing so, the study will test the association between heritage cultural connectedness and maternal stress, and see if the microbiota acts as a biological link between cultural connectedness and stress. This study can help to improve pregnancy outcomes and the mental well-being of pregnant individuals by supporting the creation of targeted and culturally sensitive treatments that lower stress levels during pregnancy. The findings will also be especially useful for Canada’s increasingly diverse population that needs health programs that understand the impact of culture on health outcomes.