Health promoting behaviors of urban African American female heads of household

Abstract

Nurse practitioners' understanding of the health status and health promoting behavior of African American women is only in its infancy. This study utilized the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile to examine these behaviors in 198 females (73% African American) in an urban setting who were heads of household. The purpose was to identify their health promoting lifestyles. Such knowledge could be the basis for health promotion programs to meet the needs of these women. Findings revealed that being head of household had no significant relationship to health promoting behavior. Religiosity and education were positively associated with health promoting behavior, while smoking and ethnic background were inversely correlated. Age and marital status also influenced specific health promoting behaviors. Implications for development of programs to foster involvement of African American women in health promotion programs were presented.