title: To what extent do community members' personal health beliefs and experiences impact what they consider to be important for their community-at-large?
abstract: Health assessments are used to prioritize community-level health concerns, but the role of individuals' health concerns and experiences is unknown. We sought to understand to what extent community health assessments reflect health concerns of the community-at-large versus a representation of the participants sampled.
  
  
  
  We conducted a health assessment survey in 30 rural African American churches (n = 412). Multivariable logistic regression produced odds ratios examining associations between personal health concern (this health concern is important to me), personal health experience (I have been diagnosed with this health issue) and community health priorities (this health concern is important to the community) for 20 health issues.
  
  
  
  Respondents reported significant associations for 19/20 health conditions between personal health concern and the ranking of that concern as a community priority (all P < 0.05). Inconsistent associations were seen between personal health experience of a specific health condition and the ranking of that condition as a community priority.
  
  
  
  Personal health concerns reported by individuals in a study sample may impact prioritization of community health initiatives. Further research should examine how personal health concerns are formed.
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Karen Hye-Cheon Kim
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yeary
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Songthip T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ounpraseuth
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: M Kathryn
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Keneshia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center, Marvell, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: 10,000 Black Men, Pine Bluff, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.affiliation: University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Greer
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014768:Virginia
keywords: communities; community-based participatory research; ethnicity; health assessment; health promotion