title: Perceptions of Health-Related Quality of Life: A Minority Men's Perspective.
abstract: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures among the African American populations have previously been inadequately studied. This study sought to further analyze the quality of life of African American men at the Cleveland Clinic Minority Men's Health Center and Cleveland Clinic Minority Men's Health Fair. Subjects were randomly selected at the Minority Health Fair and Minority Men's Health Center clinics over the duration of 2 weeks to participate in the anonymous survey with the help of independent surveyors. Convenience sampling was done at the Minority Men's Health Fair and at the Minority Men's Health Clinics. Participants were administered in-person Short Form-36 (SF-36v2). A total of 83 participants were surveyed, and the response rate from the surveyed population was 100%. The only exclusion criterion for the study was the refusal to participate ( n = 0). As compared with healthy U.S. norms, African American men reported lower HRQOL across six health domains: physical functioning (60.69 ± 2.82 vs. 84.2), general health (57.56 ± 2.41 vs. 72), social functioning (72.65 ± 3.17 vs. 83.3), role-emotional (55.89 ± 3.02 vs. 81.3), mental health (61.23 ± 2.34 vs. 74.7), and role-physical (62.5 ± 2.88 vs. 81). The largest difference between the health domains was reported in role limitations due to emotional problems (55.89 ± 3.02 vs. 81.3, 25.4). Marital analysis revealed clinically significant lower HRQOL in married African Americans as compared with nonmarried, statistically significant in physical functioning and physical health component ( p < .05). African Americans disproportionally face pervasive disparities in health, as supported by extensive quality of life impairment. No other study, to our knowledge, has used quality of life assessment in African Americans to quantitate how such disparities are affecting important domains in their lives.
authors: 1 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Bukavina
authors: 2 Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Carlumandarlo E B
authors: CEB
authors: Zaramo
authors: 3 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Tarabonata
authors: 2 Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Charles S
authors: CS
authors: Modlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D054526:Men's Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: epidemiology of men’s health; general health and wellness; health-related quality of life; quality of life