Role of Black churches in health promotion programs: lessons from the Los Angeles Mammography Promotion in Churches Program.
OBJECTIVE
This article assesses pastor-level factors that affect the successful recruitment and implementation of community-based health promotion programs in Black churches.


METHODS
Semistructured interviews with 16 pastors of Black churches were analyzed for content.


RESULTS
We found that although the involvement of Black pastors in an array of secular activities makes them open to participate in health programs, their overcommitment to other issues can negatively influence their ability to participate. Second, although Black pastors appreciate being included in and benefiting from health research, minorities' history of being underserved and exploited can lead to suspiciousness and reluctance to participate.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that those interested in developing church-based health programs in the Black community must be attuned to how the same factors can both facilitate and hinder a program's development.
Markens
Susan
S
Department of Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa 19122-6089, USA. markens@temple.edu
Fox
Sarah A
SA
Taub
Bonnie
B
Gilbert
Mary Lou
ML
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D002977:Clergy / Q000523:psychology*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D015141:Los Angeles; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012380:Role