240421 Association of Health Advice from Family and Friends and Behavioral Intent to Call 911 for Stroke among African Americans

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Lesli Skolarus, MD, MS , Stroke Program, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Devin Brown, MD, MS , Stroke Program, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Jillian Murphy, MPH , Stroke Program, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Sarah Bailey, MA , Faith Based Community Organization, Bridges into the Future, Flint, MI
Sophronia Fowlkes, BA , Faith based Community Organization in Flint, Bridges into the Future, Flint, MI
Lewis Morgenstern, MD , Stroke Program, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Marc Zimmerman, PhD , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Background and Purpose: Acute stroke treatments are underutilized because patients do not arrive to the hospital in time to receive them. Calling 911 is associated with decreased delay. This community-based participatory research project sought to explore whether an individual's belief that health advice from friends and family is important was associated with intent to call 911 for stroke. Methods: In March 2010, we administered an anonymous survey at four African American churches in Flint, MI. To assess behavioral intent to call 911, respondents assessed 12 stroke vignettes and 3 non-stroke, non-emergent vignettes. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between self-reported importance of health advice from family and friends (important vs. unimportant) and intent to call 911 for stroke (model 1) and non-stroke non-emergent scenarios (model 2), after adjustment for age, gender and education. Results: Of 242 adult respondents, 85% reported that health advice from friends and family is important. Believing that health advice from family and friends is important was not associated with intent to call 911 for stroke vignettes (OR=1.49, 95%CI 0.70-3.18). However, it was associated with intent to call 911 inappropriately for non-stroke non-emergent vignettes (OR=4.12, 95%CI 1.49-11.36). Conclusion: The vast majority of church-going African Americans felt that health advice from family and friends is important. Whether this influences behavioral intent to call 911 directly or serves as a marker of personality type affecting behavior warrants further study. Behavioral interventions to increase behavioral intent to call 911 for stroke should consider the influence of family and friends

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Evaluate whether an individual’s belief that health advice from friends and family is important is associated with intent to call 911 for stroke. 2. Discuss strategies for increasing intent to call 911 for stroke.

Keywords: African American, Strokes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I oversee a community based particaptory research project aimed to increase behavioral intent to call 911 among African Americans. I am a stroke neurologist.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

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