Assessing the health attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of African Americans attending church: A comparison from two communities

Public health officials and researchers continue to be increasingly concern ed about the health of populations of color, especially African Americans. A survey was administered in African American churches in two communities ( Wichita, ECS and Tuscaloosa, AL) to gather information concerning health be haviors and beliefs and to design interventions that might improve their he alth status. The study examined the homogeneity of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors across these samples and to determine the readiness to change usi ng the Transtheoritical Model. Individuals completed a 33-item survey: 6 de mographic questions, 12 health behavior questions, 8 health belief question s, 3 church attendance questions, and 4 church-based health promotion progr am questions. The total sample consisted of 429 respondents. The results sh owed that 93% of respondents have had their blood pressure checked in the p ast 2 years. While only 44% indicated eating high fiber diet during the wee k. Thirty percent of respondents indicated that their health was dependent on fate or destiny. The findings from this study confirm that among both sa mples that health attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors need to be changed to l ower the risk of certain diseases and disorders. The findings also indicate that both samples have similar beliefs about health that may have importan t implications for disseminating information to the community. Innovative a nd culturally sensitive pro grams are needed in the African American commun ity if disparities in health are to diminish.