TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalent health concerns among African American women belonging to a national volunteer service organization (the links, incorporated)
AU - Asiedu, Gladys B.
AU - Hayes, Sharonne N.
AU - Williams, Karen Patricia
AU - Bondaryk, Matthew R.
AU - Halyard, Michele Y.
AU - Parker, Monica W.
AU - Balls-Berry, Joyce E.
AU - Pinn, Vivian W.
AU - Breitkopf, Carmen Radecki
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute 2015.
PY - 2015/12/22
Y1 - 2015/12/22
N2 - Objective African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify prevalent health concerns among African American women who are members of The Links, Incorporated (Links), a large national service organization with health programming for communities of color. Methods Survey data (n = 391) were collected during the 2012 Links National Assembly. Twenty-six health issues were presented within five groups: cancer, CVD, pulmonary disease, chronic conditions, and behavioral health. For each issue, women indicated if it was a concern for “you/your family” or “the African American community” via checkboxes. Differences in the proportions for “you/your family” and “the African American community” were evaluated using the McNemar test. Results Hypertension was the most frequently endorsed concern for you/your family (79 %); 73 % indicated this was a concern for the African American community. Sickle cell anemia was the most frequently endorsed concern for the African American community (77%).Melanoma was the least endorsed health issue overall (15 % you/your family, 55 % community). Breast was the most frequently endorsed cancer concern, while lung was among the least. For 23 out of 26 health issues, the proportion concerned was greater for the “African American community” than for “you/your family” (all p<0.05). Conclusion CVD and breast cancer were salient concerns; both are topics for which national awareness campaigns and Links health programming exist. Comparatively lower concern was observed for melanoma, a cancer with known survival disparities, and for lung cancer, a leading cause of death in women.
AB - Objective African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify prevalent health concerns among African American women who are members of The Links, Incorporated (Links), a large national service organization with health programming for communities of color. Methods Survey data (n = 391) were collected during the 2012 Links National Assembly. Twenty-six health issues were presented within five groups: cancer, CVD, pulmonary disease, chronic conditions, and behavioral health. For each issue, women indicated if it was a concern for “you/your family” or “the African American community” via checkboxes. Differences in the proportions for “you/your family” and “the African American community” were evaluated using the McNemar test. Results Hypertension was the most frequently endorsed concern for you/your family (79 %); 73 % indicated this was a concern for the African American community. Sickle cell anemia was the most frequently endorsed concern for the African American community (77%).Melanoma was the least endorsed health issue overall (15 % you/your family, 55 % community). Breast was the most frequently endorsed cancer concern, while lung was among the least. For 23 out of 26 health issues, the proportion concerned was greater for the “African American community” than for “you/your family” (all p<0.05). Conclusion CVD and breast cancer were salient concerns; both are topics for which national awareness campaigns and Links health programming exist. Comparatively lower concern was observed for melanoma, a cancer with known survival disparities, and for lung cancer, a leading cause of death in women.
KW - African American
KW - Cancer
KW - Cardiovascular diseases
KW - Health disparities
KW - Health priorities
KW - Women
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U2 - 10.1007/s40615-015-0195-7
DO - 10.1007/s40615-015-0195-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 27294766
AN - SCOPUS:85028418657
SN - 2197-3792
VL - 4
SP - 19
EP - 24
JO - Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
JF - Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
IS - 1
ER -