Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109117

Tracy L. Finlayson, BS, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, 734-709-6742, tfinlays@umich.edu, Shawna J. Lee, MPP, MSW, Social Work/Social Psychology, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Ave., Rm 3320, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, and Daphna Oyserman, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Ave., Rm 5240, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1248.

Background: Health messages are ubiquitous in society, but not universally effective. We postulate that health is socially represented in this country by white, middle-class images, values, lifestyles, and behaviors that may not be meaningful for people in other social groups. We collected data to investigate the interface between social identity and health, and developed a process model accounting for when health messages and behaviors are judged as relevant for socially disadvantaged Americans and motivate health-related behavioral changes.

Objective: To explore new frontiers in the determinants of health disparities by examining how physical, mental, and oral health behaviors are perceived and why engagement in protective health behaviors is differentially related to social class.

Methods: 121 surveys were collected during Summer 2004 from a community sample of primarily low-income African-American women at a Michigan social service agency job fair.

Descriptive, ANOVA, and regression analyses were performed to examine if making social identity salient altered efficacy ratings and reported engagement in several health behaviors.

Results: Level of belongingness to a disadvantaged, minority social group influenced people's reported engagement in smoking, flossing, and eating fruits/vegetables. Perceiving that mental health services utilization was relevant to one's social group was positively correlated with perceptions about preventive oral and physical health behaviors.

Conclusion: Engagement in several health behaviors was related to how strongly individuals identified with their social identity. Social identity should be considered in developing targeted health education messages in order to ensure they are perceived as relevant and likely to motivate desired behavioral changes.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe current research findings about how social identity is linked with perceptions of health messages and behaviors;
• Discuss the implications for developing targeted, culturally sensitive health education and intervention efforts intended to reduce existing health disparities by extending accurate health information and services to hard-to-reach high-risk subpopulations.

Keywords: Health Behavior, Health Education Strategies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.