African-American HBP

An effective health education program must be culturally aware, sensitive to the history and specific needs of the community. Within the African-American community, there is an unfortunate history of mistrust with regards to the healthcare system and establishment. As Thomas & Quinn (1991) point out, "there remains a trail of distrust and suspicion" that hampers health education in Black communities (p. 1498). The root cause of the specific mistrust of healthcare system, policy, and practice can be traced to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Lingering effects of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study include a resistance to education and intervention related to HIV / AIDS among African-Americans. Therefore, health education related to heart disease and high blood pressure must be treated with sensitivity and awareness of this historical conflict between Black communities and healthcare, which is largely viewed as a white institution. The proposed health education program is for a neighborhood....
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