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Abstract #159594
Audio (mp3) recordingRoger E. Boyd, PhD, MSW, Department of Social Work, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Box 1450, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1450, (618) 650-3014, roboyd@siue.edu and Rita E. Arras, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Box 1066, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1066.
American men's health has been described as a brewing crisis. Men are more likely than women to drink heavily, smoke cigarettes, be overweight, and delay seeking health care. These factors contribute to 5 ½ years less life expectancy for men than women. The crisis is further exacerbated for men living in poverty because there are few publicly funded healthcare initiatives. Minority men are at even greater risk for poor health and poor health outcomes. Health disparities for African American men, the predominant minority group in the county where this study was conducted, are dramatic. Death rates for AIDS are 332% higher; stroke 128% higher; liver disease 122% higher; motor vehicle crashes 155% higher; and homicide 461% higher than rates for the same age group of all adults. This study solicited the perspectives of service providers, administrators, and men in need of health services in the exploration of the inter-related issues of health behaviors and the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of healthcare services for minority men. Results revealed that existing healthcare resources are unwelcoming, unattainable, or ill-suited for this underserved population. This study is currently fueling efforts with three partnering health-service agencies in the county to develop an effective healthcare intervention for this underserved, under-the-radar, at-risk population.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss the degree of health and healthcare disparities among minority men living in the second most problematic healthcare region in the State of Illinois.
- Compare & contrast the perspectives of health providers, administrators and minority men on the accessibility, acceptability, and availability of men’s health services.
- Identify a process by which three competing health service agencies can collaborate and cooperate to plan health services for minority men.
Keywords: Minority Health, Access to Health Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA