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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Sheila Marie Allen, RN, CSPI, Department of Public Health, Florida International University, 3000 N.E. 151 Street, North Miami, FL 33181, H. Virginia McCoy, PhD, College of Health, Department of Public Health, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151 Street, North Miami, FL 33181, (305)-919-5513, smedi003@fiu.edu, and W. M. Hlaing, MBBS, MS, PhD, Department of Public Health, School of Health, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street (ACI - 394B), North Miami, FL 33181.
Purpose: This study focused on the variations among ethnic groups regarding knowledge, values, and beliefs of hepatitis among adults in Miami-Dade County, FL.
Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted among male and female Hispanic, African-American, Haitian and homosexual men of low to moderate income between the ages of 30 and 49; homosexual men were required to be between 18 and 39 years of age. The Hispanic group was conducted in Spanish and the Haitian group in Creole. All others were conducted in English.
Results: Most information mentioned about hepatitis reflected an existing knowledge on HIV/AIDS rather than hepatitis itself. Due to a lack of awareness, hepatitis was rarely mentioned. Those with a more frequent exposure to the health care system had a greater knowledge of hepatitis, but were still found to be seriously insufficient. Those with the least information had the least concern.
African-Americans predominate concern was of AIDS as the big issue negating everything else. “You can live with everything else, but not AIDS”.
Haitians knowledge base on hepatitis reflected what they knew on a disease from their homeland as “disease of the liver” which was transmitted by food and water. Few were aware of other hepatitis viruses or their transmission by other routes.
Hispanics believed themselves to be at a greater risk for contracting hepatitis A than other ethnic groups “from the foods massively consumed by Hispanics”; otherwise very little discussion of hepatitis occurred due to an overall lack of knowledge.
Homosexual men a sexually active group, believed that sexually acquired diseases overall, were not taken seriously due to modern advances in medicine, which prolong life. They felt that such diseases were not taken seriously and as a result communication between sexual partners was identified as seriously lacking and unpredictable. For most there was much confusion and concern regarding hepatitis.
Conclusion: It is evident that knowledge about hepatitis is inadequate, indicating a need for providing public information that will correct this serious lack of information and misinformation. This information should also address the specific needs, and concerns so at impact variations in the health beliefs of each target population, such as perceived misconceptions regarding cultural influences on transmission and acquisition for hepatitis.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Ethnic Minorities, Health Information
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.