Comparison of Health Perceptions and Health Status in African Americans and Caucasians

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the health perceptions of adults based on race (African American and Caucasian) and gender in the southern United States to determine if health perception contributed to health disparity between African Americans and Caucasians.

Methods: A between-groups design was used in this study where African Americans and Caucasians completed an extensive health questionnaire and were compared for health perceptions and self-reported health status differences.

Results: Fewer African Americans (p < .05; males, 55.8%; females, 68%) perceived their health to be good to excellent compared with Caucasians (males, 76.6%; females, 77.1%) and more had been diagnosed with 1 or more chronic diseases. Yet, more than three-quarters of all groups thought that their health care provider shared with them good to excellent information about their health, and 75.0% of the African American males and 71.5% of the Caucasian males and more than 62.0% of the African American and Caucasian females stated that medication cost was not a reason they did not take prescribed medications.

Conclusions: Health perceptions of African Americans are often not consistent with their actual health, and this is especially true for African American males. Their perceptions appear to influence the value they place on health behaviors which may result in a reduced health status.