Hispanic men's voices on faith based health education and health needs

Previous research indicates that church groups are an excellent way to both address and assess the health concerns of men and women who are diverse in terms of socioeconomic status, education levels, employment status, and race/ethnicity.Our current research replicates and expands on our earlier work assessing the health needs and concerns of men and women using faith-based focus groups. No research was found asking Hispanic men about their health concerns and how spiritual beliefs impact their health decision making. Four focus groups were held with a volunteer sample of men from various church denominations (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [LDS],Catholics, etc.).Topics discussed in the focus groups included: (1) perceptions of men's health issues (2) personal health concerns and behaviors related to health (3) utilization of health services and suggestions for improvement of services (4) assessment of level of interest in church-based health promotion programs and (5) cultural competence in the delivery of health programs and (6) how religion impact their health behavior. Focus groups were both audio and videotaped and conducted in Spanish with male moderators. Data were analyzed using N6 software. Interestingly, the Hispanic participants had a present orientation toward their health as compared to past mens' groups that were more future oriented. In addition, health care costs were a pressing concern across groups as was access to healthcare. LDS participants correlated their health behaviors and religious beliefs far more so than participants of other religions in this study. Other themes and implications will be discussed.