Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110247

Kimberly Tate, BA¹, Vetta Sanders-Thompson, PhD¹, Keri Jupka, MPH², Nikki Caito, MPH, MS, RD², Nancy Weaver, PhD, MPH¹, Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD, MPH², and Robert Nicholson, Phd¹. (1) Health Communication Research Laboratory, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, 3545 Lafayette Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-4039, tateky@slu.edu, (2) Health Communication Research Laboratory, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104

Background: The way health information is communicated to and accepted by racial and ethnic group members may contribute to health disparities among those groups. While it is suggested that culturally appropriate health material may assist in disparity reduction, it is not known what approaches are most effective. What presentation format makes information preferable or relevant; can the presentation of information lead to behavior change? To explore these questions, we discuss data from nine focus groups within a large study about colorectal cancer communication in the African American community. Method: Nine focus groups (3 female & 6 male) consisting of African Americans who reacted to statements containing cancer-related data, or evidential statements, that were presented in five formats: (1) general statistical data; (2) ethnic specific statistics; (3) statistics that highlighted disparities; (4) social math (also known as creative epidemiology) examples; and (5) positive and negative frames. The focus group discussion explored the statements' understandability, impact on memory, relevance, ability to promote behavior change and participant statement preferences. Results/Conclusions: This presentation will describe our findings and the process of examining presentation of statistical information to African American participants. Qualitative analyses indicate a preference for social math examples of ethnic specific data. Evidential statements that presented disparity information sometimes evoked strong and unintended emotion that should be considered in message development. Participants had difficulty understanding positive (survival data) and negative (mortality data) frames, but generally expressed a preference for positive data whether or not these had an effect on behavior change.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Identify and understand evidential approaches to culturally appropriate health information and how they work in reference to communicating relevant data.
• Articulate strategies for examining community/population preferences for the presentation of health information.
• Apply this knowledge to the development of culturally relevant health information.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.