Assessing Perceptions of and Responses to Multiple Health Risks Among the Southern Poor

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Hovick, Shelly R. ; Johnson-Turbes, C. Ashani ; Chervin, Doryn D. ; Freimuth, Vicki S.
• Description:
  Introduction
  
  We explored perceptions of and responses to multiple health risks among people living in poverty in the southern United States.
  
  Methods
  
  We conducted 12 focus groups and interviewed 66 focus group participants in 3 southern US cities (Birmingham, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; and Columbia, South Carolina). Thematic analysis was used to identify major themes.
  
  Results
  
  Study participants worried most about chronic health conditions and the costs to treat those conditions. Feelings of threat were influenced by family health history and race. Barriers to health-protective behaviors included time, work, family, apathy, and low response efficacy. Physical activity and checking blood pressure were the health-protective behaviors in which participants most often engaged.
  
  Conclusion
  
  Our results will be useful for the development of interventions that target the southern poor. Intervention messages should address the barriers that poor people face when attempting to engage in health-protective behaviors and should help strengthen people's confidence in their ability to change their behaviors.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Black Or African American Decision Making Female Focus Groups Health Behavior Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Health Status Humans Male Poverty Risk Factors Sex Characteristics

  More +
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 8(1).
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Pubmed ID:
  21159223
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC3044022
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  5P01CD000242-03/CD/ODCDC CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  Southeastern United States
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  1
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b3b58097fb7dcebb42f847925157f4bbedecafffb2c4f06a526db220a7ecc21404c4c10395ad56f9c6adbe0d856296277a2ce9c4a40f193ece54b83768f5843d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/20539/cdc_20539_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 396.52 KB ]