Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life Among African American Men

Assessing organizational readiness for the Clean Cuts and Sharp Minds Collective: a barbershop health promotion network

BACKGROUND

Black men have among the lowest life expectancy in the United States. Alarmingly, these men are underrepresented in health promotion efforts. There are well-documented barriers to recruiting and retaining Black men in health promotion efforts, such as exclusionary research practices - many researchers may be hesitant to reach Black men in culturally unique spaces, such as barbershops. Despite these practices, qualitative research among Black men unanimously find that Black men are interested in health promotion efforts. The Clean Cuts and Sharp Minds Collective (CCSMC) was designed to bridge this gap. The objectives of the CCSMC are to train barbers to be lay advocates for their clients, train barbers to be research partners, and serve as a nexus between barbers interested in health promotion at their shops and researchers interested in implementing such efforts. The present study sought to assess the organizational readiness of barbershops in South Carolina (SC) to participate in the CCSMC.

METHODS

Barbers in SC were invited to complete a modified version of the Readiness Thinking Tool to assess organizational readiness to participate in the CCSMC.

RESULTS

Thirty-six (36; mean age = 41.12; 94.4% identified as Black; 91.7% identified as male) barbers completed the organizational readiness assessment. Results indicated that there was a high level of motivation, innovation-specific capacity, and general capacity within barbershops to participate in the CCSMC. Additionally, many barbers indicated that there would be widespread support to join the CCSMC.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from the present study highlight exciting opportunities and future directions for barbershop-academic partnerships. Such partnerships have the potential to promote health equity among, and in partnership with, Black men.

Understanding and Promoting Preventive Health Service Use Among Black Men: Community-Driven and Informed Insights

Black men experience high rates of adverse health that can be prevented or mitigated by the regular use of preventive health services. Efforts are urgently needed to promote this type of health service use among Black men. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Institute of Medicine indicate that such efforts must align with Black men's values, perspectives, and preferences. However, little guidance exists on how to align these efforts for Black men. The present qualitative study was developed to understand factors associated with preventive health service use among Black men and community-informed strategies to promote preventive health service use among these men. An approach rooted in community-based participatory research and ecological theory was used. A core leadership team consisting of five Black men from the area guided the project's development, implementation, and evaluation. The core leadership team conducted 22 interviews with Black men from their communities. Four themes emerged from these interviews: (1) holistic well-being challenges faced by Black men: interaction of mental, physical, and societal forces; (2) the interplay of financial, informational, and gendered barriers/facilitators to using preventative health services among Black men; (3) the importance of shared identity in peer health education about preventive health service use; and (4) the need for community-centered initiatives to improve preventive health service use among Black men that prioritize accessibility and information. Findings of the present study can be used to tailor preventive health service use efforts for Black men. Such efforts have the potential to promote health and mitigate health disparities.

The role of sense of community in improving the health-related quality of life among Black Americans

Black Americans have the lowest life expectancy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL; a strong predictor of premature mortality) of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. Low rates of physical activity and engagement in healthy eating are two known contributors to low HRQoL. Black Americans are more likely to live in environments that inhibit engagement in these two contributors. The present study examined sense of community as a buffer against the adverse effects of low physical activity and healthy eating on HRQoL among Black Americans. A sample of 290 Black American adults were recruited for the present study. Results indicate that sense of community buffers against the adverse effects of low physical activity on HRQoL. The results of the present study can be used by health promotion interventionists and policy-makers to improve HRQoL and reduce premature mortality among Black Americans.