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

Abstract #113055

Virginia Diane Woods, DrPH, MSN¹, Susanne B. Montgomery, PhD, MPH¹, R. Patti Herring, PhD, RN², and Sam Wilson, MD, MBA³. (1) Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, 10970 Parkland Street Building, Loma Linda, CA 92350, (909) 558-8384, vwoods@llu.edu, (2) School of Public Health, Health Promotion & Education, Loma Linda University, Nichol Hall, Room 1509, Loma Linda, CA 92350, (3) Director, African American Health Initiative, P.O. Box 11029, San Bernardino, CA 92423-1029

Non-Hispanic Blacks make up 8.8 % of the population in San Bernardino County California. In 1999, their overall age-adjusted death rate was 1,315.9/100,000. Blacks are dying 13 years younger than the majority White population. To address this obvious health disparity, we need a better understanding of needs and perceptions of this population regarding services and prevention. A mixed-methods countywide, participatory health planning process was utilized to investigate social ecological patterns, modes, and structures of the healthcare delivery system, and perceptions, practices, and attitudes of the Black population. We collected primary data from adult Blacks through key informant (N=50), focus group (N=11, 81 participants), and face-to-face resident interviews (N=515) identified geographically through GIS, 3 public forums (n=177), and healthcare provider surveys. Standard qualitative analysis was employed, and quantitative data analyses were conducted using SPSS. Mean age = 40 years; 77.8% had insurance, 85.3% had a routine physical in the last 18 months, 59.9% had a MD for routine care, 82.0% agree that taking the right actions will help to stay healthy, and 70.4% walked for physical activity. Only 14.7% used public transportation for medical visits. A report, Voices of the People: An Afrocentric Plan for Better Health was developed and presented to the local media, medical community and community at large. Community participatory health planning potentially reduces health disparities by: engaging Blacks in healthcare shared decision-making, developing Afrocentric infrastructure capacity, creating appropriate cultural health policies, and restructuring healthcare delivery systems for cultural effectiveness to improve health outcomes.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to

• Identify five strategies to improve health outcomes for the Black population.
• Articulate four unique traits of Black Americans that must be positively impacted in order to improve healthcare delivery to this group.

Keywords: Health Disparities, African American

Related Web page: www.AAHI.info

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.

Recorded presentation