Aids and competing health concerns of blacks, Hispanics, and whites

Abstract

Blacks, Hispanics, and whites were interviewed in a door-to-door survey assessing personal concern about AIDS relative to other health threats and willingness to attend in-home AIDS education programs. The survey consisted of three parts: (1) an open-ended inquiry regarding which health problems individuals wanted to learn more about, (2) ratings of concern about AIDS and nine other common health threats, and (3) assessment of willingness to participate in future neighborhood-based AIDS education programs. Usable data were obtained from 453 respondents. Sixty-seven health threats were mentioned in response to the open-ended inquiry; AIDS was mentioned by 50.7%, followed by cancer (19.9%). AIDS was mentioned more frequently by blacks (63.9%) than by Hispanics (42.5%) or whites (45.7%), X²(3)=32.07,p<.002. Participants also reported higher levels of concern about AIDS than any other health problem with the exception of cancer. Concern about AIDS was greater among blacks (M=2.68) than among Hispanics (M=2.33) or whites (M=2.36),F(2,351)=5.06,p<.01. Differences as a function of ethnicity, gender, and/or age were observed with respect to concern about heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, drug abuse, colds and flu, and herpes. In general, blacks and Hispanics expressed more interest in participating in AIDS education programs than did whites. Concern about AIDS and other health threats was not consistently related to either disease prevalence or severity.