Health Status of the Black Community in the 21st Century: A Futuristic Perspective for Health Education

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a new perspective on health status of American Blacks. It is hoped that this perspective will serve as a foundation for development of scientifically sound, ethnically acceptable and culturally sensitive health education programs. As we move into the 1990s we face the challenge of improving the health status of minority Americans by developing culturally sensitive and ethnically acceptable health education programs. Health educators should be aware that this challenge must begin with a comprehensive examination of the social, economic, and political context within which minority populations are exposed to risk factors for leading causes of death in our society.