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This study identified and described the experiences of twelve African American men that influenced the choice to participate in postsecondary education. This qualitative study used a phenomenology framework to determine 1) the formation of predisposition in the college choice process, 2) the messages received about college from influential people, and 3) perception and interpretation of the importance of a college degree. The overall theme arising from the data is that the college choice process was complicated and inconsistent; however, ten of the twelve participants completed some type of postsecondary training. Deficient messages about postsecondary education manifested as low parental support for college attendance, low academic expectations, withholding of important information from school officials and little or no exposure to postsecondary institution campuses or students. Influential people for the participants ranged from parents to themselves, and from a combination of characteristics from different people, to peers, to no one. The informants did not consistently identify their role model as the one who influenced them to attend college. The perception of the value of a college degree varied among the participants. Some described the degree as a requirement for success; others felt that strengthening family and achieving financial independence was more important.

African American men who have sex with men (AAMSM) are at a greater risk of contracting HIV than any other ethnic group, subpopulation, or race. Personal, environmental, and social variables can affect risk behavior. Driven by Beck's cognitive theory of depression, this quantitative study examined the relationship between depression and HIV risk behaviors in a sample of AAMSM (n = 108). Data was gathered via the Beck Depression Inventory and the HIV Risk Behavior Questionnaire. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to analyze the data to determine the correlation between HIV risk behavior and depression. According to study findings, there was no significant relationship found between depression and HIV risk behavior in this sample of AAMSM after accounting for the variance associated with the covariates: age, alcohol and substance use, condom attitudes, HIV knowledge, and income. While the study findings do not indicate depressive symptoms were associated with HIV sexual risk behavior, age, alcohol or drug use, and condom attitudes were significantly and positively related to HIV sexual risk behavior. Future research is recommended to identify factors specific to AAMSM for use in devising African American MSM-centric interventions. The results could inform the development of interventions targeting older AAMSM to alter behaviors associated with alcohol and drug use to impact sexual risk behaviors and reduce HIV transmission in AAMSM, thus resulting in positive social change in their lives and the lives of their families and communities.

African American (AA) men in the state of Alabama are affected by colorectal cancer (CRC) more than all other races. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain understanding of colorectal cancer screening health benefits in AA men in Mobile, Alabama. The health beliefs model (HBM) developed by Hochum, Rosemstock, and Kegels was used to to explore the barriers and facilitators to CRC screening in AA men with health insurance in Mobile, Alabama. The research questions explored knowledge, perceptions, and facilitators to CRC screening among AA men age 40 to 75. Participants were selected using purposive sampling and data were collected through face-to-face individual interviews with 13 participants living in Mobile, Al. Data were inductively coded and subjected to a thematic analysis procedure. The study findings revealed that participants had a general knowledge of cancer but a low awareness of CRC screening. Findings also revealed a perceived gap in CRC screening education from participants' doctors. Few reported understanding or remembering a conversation about the need for CRC screening during their last doctor's visit. There was no indication that age or level of education played a meaningful role in participants' knowledge or perception of CRC screening requirements. Positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to Alabama public health officials and policy makers to invest in the development of intervention and education efforts to increase CRC screening among AA men, which in turn, may reduce CRC related morbidity and mortality.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 3146. Adviser: Lu-Yu Hwang. Includes bibliographical references.

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This study presents the results from an exploratory study that measured 71 African American males' attitudes toward marriage, their ideal marriage partner, and their attitudes toward African American women.

Given a global online sample of Black men (n=194) who responded to a social media campaign and completed the study, the convenience sample of Black males (N=194) was mostly married (N=147, 75.85%), had a mean age of 49.53 years (min 40, max 76, SD=8.73), and was well educated; 24.7% (n=48) had an Associate Degree, 20.6% (n=40) had a Bachelor’s, 18% (n=35) had a Master’s, and 5.2% (n=10) had a Doctorate. The mean annual income was 4.21 for category 4 of $40,000-$49,999 (min 1, max 9, SD=1.64). Most of the participants were employed (n=188, 96.9%) and born in the United States (n=152, 78.4%). As a reflection of a global sample, if not a sample of men born in Ghana (77.3%, n=194) who were now dispersed across the globe, over two-thirds (77.3%) were born in Ghana while 78.4% (n=152) were currently living in the United States; 15.5% (n=30) were currently living in Ghana, followed by 5.1 (n=10) currently living in other countries. Key findings showed that, as a brief intervention of taking the PC-S-KT-39, as per results of four paired t-tests (Bonferroni Adjustment Significance, .05/4, p=.013), this was associated with a significant increase from pre-knowledge test to post-knowledge test (p<.000; Bonferroni Adjustment Significance, .05/4, p=.013) for (a) knowledge of prostate cancer and screening (t=-8.475, df=193, p=.000); (b) self-efficacy for talking to doctor about prostate cancer and screening (t=-9.098, df=193, p=.000); (c) knowledge of Vitamin D screening and supplementation (t=-9.748, df=193, p=.000); and (d) self-efficacy for talking about Vitamin D screening and supplementation (t=-9.384, df=193, p=.000). The study demonstrated how there is great value in contemporary times in using an online social media campaign, posting and distributing flyers in community venues (barber shops, churches), snowballing, and using smart phones to conduct global online research. Given these findings, wide dissemination via the Internet of a link to the new Prostate Cancer and Screening Knowledge Test (PC-S-KT-39) is justified. If men such as those in this study disseminate the link, the impact may be global indeed.

Abstract Mass incarceration is a popular term in today’s society that is means to describe the high incarceration rate in the United States. Because of this, the United States has the largest prison population in the world. Mass incarceration is a movement that truly began to make headway during Reagan’s presidency and his declaration of a War on Drugs. The sensationalization of the dangers of crack cocaine sparked a “tough on crime” mentality and a long series of punitive measures that would come to disproportionately affect the black community. Today, mass incarceration has become an extremely controversial topic. The debate has centered on whether this country is too punitive and how current policies may be disproportionately affecting black men as they make up 33% of the prison population but only 12% of the general population (Alexander, 2010). However, regardless of the controversy, mass incarceration continues to affect millions of individuals in this country. Thus, the question is why individuals continue to be imprisoned at such alarming rates. Not only has the prison system take a strong foothold in this country but its power and influence continue to grow with the prison industrial complex. Therefore, ensuring that future generations will continue to be affected. In order to stop mass incarceration, we must consider alternatives to our prison system, such as a focus on rehabilitation rather than deterrence. Or perhaps an abolition of our prison system altogether.

African Americans bear a disproportionately high burden of cancer incidence and mortality in this country. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate factors associated with African-American men, who are incarcerated, making informed health decisions about participation in prostate cancer screening, as well as exploring factors that reduce modifiable risk factors for cancer. The United States incarcerates more people per capita than any country in the world and African American men are overrepresented in the U.S. prison system This dissertation is composed of three manuscripts. The first paper reviews the current literature about the factors that influence African-American males in making informed decisions about whether to participate in prostate cancer screening. The second paper uses existing data from a sample of 129 incarcerated African American men to examine the value of an intervention aimed at reducing modifiable risks for cardiovascular disease – and by extension, cancer – in inmates. The third paper explores predictors of intent to screen (or not) for prostate cancer in incarcerated African-American males, as well as those factors that influence informed decision-making in this population. These papers provide an overview of factors that influence incarcerated African-American men’s health decisions (health literacy, having a relative with previous diagnosis). These findings can be used to guide future research that addresses African-American male decision-making about personal health outcomes.