Exploring Best Practices to Increase Health Status and Engage African American Men in Healthcare

The primary purpose of this research is to explore how African American men ages 18 and over perceive their health status and the options available to them for health care. The second purpose is to examine their perceived barriers to frequently utilizing these healthcare options. A total of 100 African American men from southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware participated in this qualitative study. Convenience sampling was used to select participants for this study. The data analysis showed five major themes which were (a) health access, (b) insurance, (c) systemic barriers, (d) masculinity, and (e) lifestyle. While exploring the themes, a variety of reason why African American men tend not to seek healthcare surfaced. Implications were African American men thought their masculinity was threatened by seeking care for their health issues. Many African American men avoided health care for a variety of reasons; one reason is their own prejudices. A recommendation is the development of culturally-sensitive health education programs. These programs should focus on targeted populations and employ community leadership as a viable means for changing present stigmas and stereotypes of the healthcare system.