Historical and cultural trauma experienced by African Americans has deeply wounded generations of this ethnic group, firmly shaping the ideologies, perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors within the community as well as influencing both their physical and mental health outcomes. In a qualitative study examining the various influences on African American women’s infant-feeding practices, participants cited aspects of African American history, including wet nursing, a practice where enslaved black women who were lactating were forced to breastfeed their owner’s children, which simultaneously limited their ability to provide for and nurture their own children, as a negative influential factor in their decision to breastfeed (DeVane-Johnson et al., 2018 Green et al., 2021). Breastfeeding has a plethora of benefits for both infants and their mothers, including reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), obesity, asthma, and Type 1 diabetes in infants, as well as reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure in mothers (Petersen, 2018). Among its many facets and detrimental consequences, recent research has explored how this particular trauma has affected African American women’s decision-making regarding breastfeeding their infants. Slavery is the most significant example of historical and cultural trauma that still plagues African Americans to this day. African Americans are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease, therefore, this study and others like it raise valid questions regarding the effect of historical and cultural trauma on reluctance to participate in clinical studies and/or seek health care and how this may be related to health outcomes and disparities (Lincoln et al., 2021). Health research can provide information on the effectiveness of medical interventions, lead to the development of new therapies and medical breakthroughs, improve use of drugs, diagnostics and vaccines, and result in major improvements in overall public health. (2021) found that mistrust of physicians and researchers, mistrust of white researchers/clinicians, and historical mistreatment were the most frequently mentioned barriers to their own and other African Americans participation in research. For example, in a study examining the barriers to participation for African Americans in Alzheimer’s clinical research, Lincoln et al. This study shaped generations of African Americans’ perceptions of and interactions with healthcare professionals and contemporary medicine and research, ultimately contributing to health disparities (Lincoln et al., 2021 Sacks et al., 2021).

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, beginning in 1932, is an infamous example of historical and cultural trauma experienced by African Americans, one that deeply scarred generations of African American families and broke their already compromised trust in the American medical system. In finding ways to improve the health of our marginalized citizens, America can take an honorable step towards that ideal Union. In order to form “a more perfect Union,” the lives of all Americans must be valued and protected. Recommendations for further research on intergenerational trauma, a vital part of advancing the health and wellbeing of this oppressed population, will be shared. Along with the concept of intergenerational trauma, there are other closely related issues that contribute to how past traumatic experiences may impact the public’s health, including historical trauma and various forms of racism. This research paper will present findings from a scoping literature review focused on how the concept of intergenerational trauma is currently being used in the public health field to understand and address health issues among African Americans. However, the role intergenerational trauma plays in public health outcomes among African Americans has been given less attention. Studies have examined intergenerational trauma among various populations including Holocaust survivors, Japanese American internment camp survivors, Armenian refugees, and more recently, African Americans. Intergenerational trauma can be understood as significant adverse events experienced by individuals that have such a profound impact, offspring of the individuals face struggles with the post-traumatized state of their parents. Intergenerational trauma is not only a ubiquitous reality in American society, but it is also a significant factor in public health issues. Abstract: Intergenerational trauma is a dynamic concept that has been a focus of many studies in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Intergenerational trauma hispanic