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Reaching African American men: a qualitative analysis.
Keith O Plowden1, Wendell John, Elias Vasquez
1University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing, Baltimor, MD 21201, USA. Plowden@son.umaryland.edu
Journal of Community Health Nursing
|July 26, 2006
Summary
Reaching African American men for health interventions requires trusted community members, safe environments, and clear benefits. These factors are key to increasing engagement in health programs for this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Disparities
- Community Health
Background:
- African American men face disproportionately high rates of illness and complications.
- This demographic shows lower participation rates in primary and secondary prevention interventions.
- Understanding effective outreach strategies for African American men is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore factors associated with effectively reaching African American men for health interventions.
- To identify key elements for successful community engagement strategies.
Main Methods:
- Ethnographic research methods were employed.
- Recruitment of key and general informants from an urban Northeastern community.
- Qualitative data collection and analysis to identify themes.
Main Results:
- Three major themes emerged as essential for reaching African American men:
- 1. Outreach delivered by a trusted and respected community member.
- 2. A perceived safe and caring environment during outreach activities.
- 3. A clear perception of benefit from participating in the outreach.
Conclusions:
- Findings provide a foundation for designing community interventions to increase participation among African American men.
- Future research should focus on implementing and evaluating these identified factors in real-world community settings.