Hudson College Doctoral Student Receives People’s Choice Award for Postpartum Recovery Research

Navya Jeldi, a PhD student in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences, received the People’s Choice Award in the student poster contest at the 2026 Oklahoma Public Health Association (OPHA) Conference for her research on recovery after childbirth.

Jeldi’s poster, ‘Recovery Barriers and Facilitators Among Postpartum Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study,’ explored the experiences of postpartum individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD), with a focus on understanding what supports or challenges recovery during the postpartum period.

Her findings identified themes of resilience and coping, motherhood and personal growth, social support, emotional struggles, postpartum challenges, and barriers to recovery care. Together, the findings point to the need for accessible, integrated services that address substance use treatment alongside emotional well-being, parenting demands and social support.

Jeldi’s recognition at the conference highlights research that centers the experiences of postpartum individuals and can help inform more responsive approaches to recovery care.