The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises
Background and objectiveThere are overwhelming health disparities in the Deep South. It is important to include the voice of communities affected by these disparities when developing interventions. The goal of the current study was to develop an academic community engaged partnership to strengthen t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.932451/full |
| _version_ | 1797847663243165696 |
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| author | Sharlene D. Newman Sharlene D. Newman Kimberly Moss Melonie Pichon Deborah Scott Kileema Rogers Angela Orr Chuong Bui Pamela Payne-Foster Pamela Payne-Foster |
| author_facet | Sharlene D. Newman Sharlene D. Newman Kimberly Moss Melonie Pichon Deborah Scott Kileema Rogers Angela Orr Chuong Bui Pamela Payne-Foster Pamela Payne-Foster |
| author_sort | Sharlene D. Newman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objectiveThere are overwhelming health disparities in the Deep South. It is important to include the voice of communities affected by these disparities when developing interventions. The goal of the current study was to develop an academic community engaged partnership to strengthen the ability to address priority health concerns of rural African American communities with a focus on health literacy and health advocacy.MethodsA community-based participatory research approach was used to administer a 15-item community health survey in five rural communities led by African American mayors in Alabama (N = 752). The survey assessed the health concerns and the potential behaviors that may be associated with those health concerns.ResultsThe five communities demonstrated similarities as well as differences in both the health concerns endorsed and the potential health behaviors that may contribute to those concerns. All five communities identified cardiovascular disease as a health concern with three endorsing mental health issues and 2 dental health. With respect to behaviors, all five communities identified either unhealthy eating/exercise and substance use as concerns with one community identifying racism as a risky behavior affecting health.ConclusionThe results presented replicate CBPR studies demonstrating that communities are important sources of information about local health priorities and concerns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:16:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9e2e9b6d567435b85cf0e9f9d6f2c54 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:16:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9e2e9b6d567435b85cf0e9f9d6f2c542023-04-13T04:43:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-04-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.932451932451The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprisesSharlene D. Newman0Sharlene D. Newman1Kimberly Moss2Melonie Pichon3Deborah Scott4Kileema Rogers5Angela Orr6Chuong Bui7Pamela Payne-Foster8Pamela Payne-Foster9Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesAlabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United StatesAdvancing Health Literacy in the Alabama Black Belt, HHS, Fort Deposit, AL, United StatesCollege of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United StatesBackground and objectiveThere are overwhelming health disparities in the Deep South. It is important to include the voice of communities affected by these disparities when developing interventions. The goal of the current study was to develop an academic community engaged partnership to strengthen the ability to address priority health concerns of rural African American communities with a focus on health literacy and health advocacy.MethodsA community-based participatory research approach was used to administer a 15-item community health survey in five rural communities led by African American mayors in Alabama (N = 752). The survey assessed the health concerns and the potential behaviors that may be associated with those health concerns.ResultsThe five communities demonstrated similarities as well as differences in both the health concerns endorsed and the potential health behaviors that may contribute to those concerns. All five communities identified cardiovascular disease as a health concern with three endorsing mental health issues and 2 dental health. With respect to behaviors, all five communities identified either unhealthy eating/exercise and substance use as concerns with one community identifying racism as a risky behavior affecting health.ConclusionThe results presented replicate CBPR studies demonstrating that communities are important sources of information about local health priorities and concerns.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.932451/fullruralcommunity healthDeep SouthAfrican Americanmental health |
| spellingShingle | Sharlene D. Newman Sharlene D. Newman Kimberly Moss Melonie Pichon Deborah Scott Kileema Rogers Angela Orr Chuong Bui Pamela Payne-Foster Pamela Payne-Foster The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises Frontiers in Public Health rural community health Deep South African American mental health |
| title | The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises |
| title_full | The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises |
| title_fullStr | The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises |
| title_full_unstemmed | The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises |
| title_short | The health of rural Black communities during COVID: Some affirmations, some surprises |
| title_sort | health of rural black communities during covid some affirmations some surprises |
| topic | rural community health Deep South African American mental health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.932451/full |
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