title: African-American women's perceptions of their most serious health problems.
abstract: African Americans experience a disproportionate burden of illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease and diabetes are the most common causes of mortality among African Americans. Data were gathered from 1,055 African-American women to gain their perspectives of the most serious health problems affecting African-American women and their related knowledge, attitudes and health promoting behaviors. Women listed CDC's top four causes of mortality as their top four most serious health threats. Cancer was reported as a serious health threat by 81% of the participants, whereas heart disease, the most common cause of mortality and a disease amenable to prevention and early intervention, was mentioned by only 31% of the women. Diabetes was reported by 59% of the women and cerebrovascular disease by 52%. As the Health Belief and other theoretical models would predict, awareness of the seriousness of these four disease groups among African-American women was associated with a greater likelihood of adherence for several of the recommended behaviors. Many opportunities exist for raising women's awareness of these four diseases and linking women's growing health awareness with those health promoting behaviors known to reduce morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Rebecca and John Moores UCSD, Cancer Center and UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0658, USA. gsadler@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Georgia Robins
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sadler
authors.forename: Rita Paola
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: Celine Marie
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Shianti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gilpin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006331:Heart Diseases; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health
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