The Assessment of Rural African-American Churches' Capacity to Promote Health Prevention Activities

Abstract

Throughout history, the African-American church has played a vital role in social, political and educational arenas. Often viewed as the cornerstone of the African-American community, the African-American church is an excellent medium to promote health prevention and promotion interventions. This article identifies several elements for the facilitation of this process, identifies the role of culture within this concept and explores the history of the African-American church as it relates to health promotion activities. The African-American church has become a valuable mechanism by which health professionals are able to reach underserved populations.