Detangling the Impact of Social Class, Race, and Culture on the Health Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors of College-Educated African-American Women Público
Milliner, Brittany Renee (2011)
Abstract
Abstract
Detangling the Impact of Race, Social Class, and Culture on the Health Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors of College-Educated African-American Women
By: Brittany Milliner
Greater awareness of the influence of socioeconomic, racial, and
cultural factors on the health
behaviors and beliefs of diverse US subpopulations may allow more
personalized treatment plans
and intervention programs for minorities. Unfortunately, research
has yet to identify the health
behaviors and beliefs of diverse US subpopulations through such a
perspective. Most studies on
the health practices of the African-American community mainly
examined the health behaviors
and folk beliefs of lower-class African-American women; few studies
have independently
observed the health behaviors and attitudes of African-American
women in higher social clases.
This study corrects this critical omission by providing information
on the health practices of African-
American women who have achieved higher socioeconomic status from a
college education.
African-American women between the ages of 20-80, who are members
of a predominatly
African-American sorority and residents of the Metro-Atlanta area,
were contacted for
recruitment in this study. I utilized a two-part methodology; I
collected 106 survey responses and
conducted three focus groups to ascertain information on
participant demographics, health
behaviors, experiences of racial discrimination, physician
preferences, satisfaction with care, and
trust in the healthcare system. Study results have provided deeper
insight into the health
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of college-educated
African-American women, including self-
treatment; delayed seeking of professional care; and the importance
of balancing folk and
biomedical care, and researching treatment options. Age did not
appear to impact the health
behaviors of study participants, indicating the cultural
transmission of health behaviors and
attitudes, especially mistrust in the healthcare system and
utilization of home remedies. While
college-educated African-American women may experience greater
access to biomedical care,
participants aged 20-59 reported that the high cost of health care
still prevented them from
seeking treatment when needed. This suggests gaps in the health
care of study participants:
college-educated African-American women may not receive the
preventative care they need
between the ages of 20-59 due to financial barriers to care.
Table of Contents
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
………………………………………………………………................................1
About This Project
Health Behaviors and Beliefs
The Homogenous Classification of African-Americans
Factors Influencing Selection of a Healthcare Provider
Folk Medicine/Ethnomedicine
The Intersection of Social Class, Race, and Health
Chapter 2: Background and Literature Review
……………………………………….......................20
A History of the Exclusion of African-Americans from Mainstream
Health Care
The Establishment and Continuation of Folk Medicinal Practices and
Folk Beliefs
The Impact of Racial Discrimination on the Health Care of
Contemporary African-American Women
Satisfaction with Care
Reducing Health Disparities Through Medical Anthropology
Chapter 3: Methodology
…………………………………………………………………….........................47
Study Population
Study Design
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Limitations of This Study
Chapter 4: Culture and the Health Behaviors,
Attitudes, and Beliefs of
African-American
Women…………………………………………………………………............................56
Demographics of the Study Population
Treatment During Times of Sickness: Self-Care and Alternative
Medicine Usage
"You Must Do Your Research"
A Healthy Balance Is Key; "Too Much of Anything Is Bad"
Delays in Seeking Biomedical Care
Chapter 5: Factors Impacting the Health
Behaviors of African-American Women
….....….74
The Subtle Impact of Racial Discrimination
Feelings of Mistrust Toward an Unequal Healthcare System
A Strong Preference for African-American Female Physicians
Barriers to Care: High Costs and Self-Pride
Improving the Health Care of College-Educated African-American
Women
Chapter 6: Discussion
……………………………………………………………………….....................100
Notions of Ideal Health Behaviors
The Factors That Shape Health Behaviors
Revisiting the Physician Preferences of African-American Women
The Benefits of Higher Education: Financial Security and Greater Access to Care
Implications of Study Results for the Health Care of African-Americans
Concluding Remarks
Bibliography ....................................................................................................................115
Appendix .........................................................................................................................124
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