Correlates of health promotion behaviors in low income black women and latinas

Background: Factors associated with practicing five health promotion behaviors (sleeping 7-8 hours per night, eating breakfast, exercising three times per week, and abstaining from alcohol and tobacco use) were identified in 243 low-income Black and Latina women whose children were enrolled in Head Start programs in South Central Los Angeles. Methods: Based on previous studies, interviews with community leaders and health personnel, and focus groups with community residents, I designed and administered surveys to identify correlates of health promotion behaviors. We assessed demographic variables; knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers to health promotion behaviors; perceived susceptibility to disease and efficacy in determining health outcome; social and family support for health promotion; sources of health promotion information; interactions with health care providers; and quality of life in the community. Results: Being Latina, having a low perceived susceptibility to cancer, and using leaflets and flyers as sources of health promotion information were associated with practicing more health promotion behaviors. Exposure to violence (having a family member killed) and perceptions of community health care workers as uncaring were associated with practicing fewer health promotion behaviors. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a range of factors may be related to healthy and unhealthy lifestyles in low-income, ethnic minority women and that environmental stressors, such as exposure to violence, may significantly affect health promotion behavior in these groups.