Health decision-making preferences among African American men recruited from urban barbershops.
OBJECTIVE
To examine general health decision-making roles among African American men ages 40 to 70 recruited in barbershops in the Richmond, Virginia, metropolitan area.


METHODS
We adapted the 1-item Control Preference scale to study the associations between health decision-making role preferences and demographic variables. Forty African-American men were recruited from barbershops to complete a self-administered survey. After performing descriptive statistics, we dichotomized our outcome into active vs nonactive (collaborative or passive) decision makers. Data were then analyzed using chi2, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank sum, and multiple logistic regression.


RESULTS
Fifteen subjects responded that they engaged in active decision making, 20 in collaborative, and 5 in passive decision making. Almost all (86.7%) active decision makers were home owners, vs 41.7% of nonactive decision makers. Among active decision makers, 46.7% had incomes of more than $70000, vs 12.5% of nonactive decision makers. The active group reported health status that was good to excellent, while 20.8% of those in the nonactive group reported poor/fair health.


CONCLUSIONS
African American male barbershop clients preferred an active or collaborative health decision-making role with their physician, rather than a passive role. The relationship among home ownership, income, and decision style may best be understood by considering the historical and cultural influences on gender role socialization among African American males. More comprehensive assessment of decision styles is necessary to better understand health decision making among African American male patients.
Hart
Alton
A
Division of Quality Health Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980306, Richmond, VA 23298-0306, USA. ahart@vcu.edu
Smith
Wally R
WR
Tademy
Raymond H
RH
McClish
Donna K
DK
McCreary
Micah
M
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D001461:Barbering; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D014768:Virginia