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"I Just Did It": Health Decision Making and Perceived Outcomes of HIV Testing in the African American Church
Methodology: The current study examined the effect of health decision making for HIV testing on beliefs about post-HIV testing outcomes among AA adult church and community members (N = 550) in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Participants were asked how they decided to obtain HIV testing, with summed responses ranging from 4 (e.g., intellectual decision) to 40 (e.g., it just hit me).
Results: Three-fourths of participants had received HIV testing in their lifetime (74%). Only 33% of participants reported prior planning in obtaining an HIV test. Higher impulsivity in obtaining HIV testing was significantly positively associated with increased beliefs that getting an HIV test would help participants to feel more comfortable/safe taking the test (p = .003), increase peace of mind about past sex or drug activities (p = .011), protect themselves from HIV infection in the future (p = .005), have a joyful life if results were negative (p = .011), know that results will be confidential (p = .004), and seek HIV medication if test results were positive (p = .001).
Conclusions: Understanding the health decision making process in AA faith populations could help to inform future HIV prevention interventions in the Black church.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationDiversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the process of health decision making in the African American faith community.
Explain the impact that health decision making has on perceived outcomes of receipt of HIV testing in the African American faith community.
Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Decision-Making
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I have been involved in health disparities research for the past four years, focusing on chronic illness in minority populations. My current research interests include examining health behaviors and decision making in African American faith populations.
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.