TY - JOUR
T1 - A Survey of African American Men in Chicago Barbershops
T2 - Implications for the Effectiveness of the Barbershop Model in the Health Promotion of African American Men
AU - Moore, Nataka
AU - Wright, Matara
AU - Gipson, Jessica
AU - Jordan, Greg
AU - Harsh, Mohit
AU - Reed, Daniel
AU - Murray, Marcus
AU - Keeter, Mary Kate
AU - Murphy, Adam
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded through a seed grant by Adler University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2016/8/1
Y1 - 2016/8/1
N2 - The barbershop has been used to target African American (AA) men across age groups for health screenings, health interventions, and for research. However, few studies explore the sociodemographic characteristics of barbers and their clients. Additionally, few have evaluated the client’s relative comfort with receiving health information and screenings in barbershops and other non-clinical settings. Lastly, it is unknown whether barbers feel capable of influencing health-decision making of AA men. AA male clients and barbers completed a self-administered survey in barbershops in predominantly AA neighborhoods throughout Chicago, Illinois. We assessed sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards receiving physical and mental health education and screenings in barbershops and other settings. Barbers were also surveyed regarding their most and least common clients by age group and their perceived ability to influence the decision-making of AA males by age group. AAs surveyed in barbershops have similar rates of high school completion, poverty and unemployment as the AA residents of their neighborhood. AA males prefer to receive health education and screening in clinician offices followed by barbershops and churches. Barbers reported serving males age 18–39 years of age most frequently while men 50 years and older were the least served group. Overall, barbers did not believe they could influence the decision-making of AA men and in the best case scenario, only 33 % felt they could influence young men 18–29 years old. Barbershops reach AA men that are representative of the demographics of the neighborhood where the barbershop is located. Barbers reach a small population of men over age 49 and feel incapable of influencing the decisions of AAs over age 39. Further studies are needed to assess other locales for accessing older AA men and to evaluate the feasibility of mental health interventions and screenings within the barbershop.
AB - The barbershop has been used to target African American (AA) men across age groups for health screenings, health interventions, and for research. However, few studies explore the sociodemographic characteristics of barbers and their clients. Additionally, few have evaluated the client’s relative comfort with receiving health information and screenings in barbershops and other non-clinical settings. Lastly, it is unknown whether barbers feel capable of influencing health-decision making of AA men. AA male clients and barbers completed a self-administered survey in barbershops in predominantly AA neighborhoods throughout Chicago, Illinois. We assessed sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards receiving physical and mental health education and screenings in barbershops and other settings. Barbers were also surveyed regarding their most and least common clients by age group and their perceived ability to influence the decision-making of AA males by age group. AAs surveyed in barbershops have similar rates of high school completion, poverty and unemployment as the AA residents of their neighborhood. AA males prefer to receive health education and screening in clinician offices followed by barbershops and churches. Barbers reported serving males age 18–39 years of age most frequently while men 50 years and older were the least served group. Overall, barbers did not believe they could influence the decision-making of AA men and in the best case scenario, only 33 % felt they could influence young men 18–29 years old. Barbershops reach AA men that are representative of the demographics of the neighborhood where the barbershop is located. Barbers reach a small population of men over age 49 and feel incapable of influencing the decisions of AAs over age 39. Further studies are needed to assess other locales for accessing older AA men and to evaluate the feasibility of mental health interventions and screenings within the barbershop.
KW - African American men’s health
KW - Barbershop model
KW - Health promotion
KW - Mental health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84977461951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84977461951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10900-016-0152-3
DO - 10.1007/s10900-016-0152-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 26831485
AN - SCOPUS:84977461951
SN - 0094-5145
VL - 41
SP - 772
EP - 779
JO - Journal of Community Health
JF - Journal of Community Health
IS - 4
ER -
