Communities in Action

Communities in Action
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309452961

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Race and Health Behaviors

Race and Health Behaviors
Author: Tangela G. Towns
Publisher:
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2009
Genre: African Americans
ISBN:

This project assesses the effects certain variables have on African American adults that suffer from diabetes. These include behaviors of African Americans that contribute to diabetes such as; diet behavior and physical activity. Although the behaviors of health care professionals and the health care system are important, in this project a data base for the measurement of the appropriate variable is not available. Thus, the focus of this study is to examine the effects of these health behaviors on the likelihood of having diabetes among African Americans. This assessment will be used to provide insights as they pertain to African Americans and diabetes.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans

Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 1997-09-23
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309175569

Older Americans, even the oldest, can now expect to live years longer than those who reached the same ages even a few decades ago. Although survival has improved for all racial and ethnic groups, strong differences persist, both in life expectancy and in the causes of disability and death at older ages. This book examines trends in mortality rates and selected causes of disability (cardiovascular disease, dementia) for older people of different racial and ethnic groups. The determinants of these trends and differences are also investigated, including differences in access to health care and experiences in early life, diet, health behaviors, genetic background, social class, wealth and income. Groups often neglected in analyses of national data, such as the elderly Hispanic and Asian Americans of different origin and immigrant generations, are compared. The volume provides understanding of research bearing on the health status and survival of the fastest-growing segment of the American population.

Health Promoting Behaviors in African American Congregants

Health Promoting Behaviors in African American Congregants
Author: Jacqueline D. Palmer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 76
Release: 2008
Genre: African Americans
ISBN:

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and healthy behaviors in church members. The study used Nola Pender's Health Promotion Model as a theoretical framework. The Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II, a 52-item questionnaire; the General Self-Efficacy Scale, a 10-item questionnaire; and demographic characteristics (age range, gender, race, marital status, work status, and education) were used in the study. A convenience sample of 106 adult church members participated in the study. Spearman's nonparametric correlations were used to calculate the relationship between self-efficacy, the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II and its six subscales (health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management). There was a strong correlation between self-efficacy and spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, stress management, and the total Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II. There was no difference in gender in self-efficacy and the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II subscales (leaf 24).

Being Healthy Counts To H.I.M.: An Examination of Health Behavior Among Participants in a Diabetes Prevention and Health Promotion Program

Being Healthy Counts To H.I.M.: An Examination of Health Behavior Among Participants in a Diabetes Prevention and Health Promotion Program
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2003
Genre:
ISBN:

This study employed a non-random, quasi-experimental design to assess the impact of a diabetes prevention and health promotion program on the health behavior of older African American adults in a church setting. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1986, 1977) and Socio-ecological (McLeroy et al., 1988) and PRECEDE- PROCEEDE Planning (Green & Kreuter, 1999) models were utilized as guiding frameworks. A modified curriculum from the Lifestyle Balance: Healthy Eating and Being Active Diabetes Prevention program was used. Significant decreases were found in fasting blood sugar over the eight-week period for both program participants and the comparison group. However, there was not an increase in diabetes knowledge, daily moderate-vigorous exercise levels or self-efficacy for physical activity for individuals who participated in the program from Time 1 to Time 2. The findings are discussed relative to their contributions to health-related research and interventions with African Americans and the role of African-American churches as a conduit for health messages and behavior change.