Keep Moving

Abstract

Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by most forms of chronic disease in the United States, yet current literature neglects Black women's constructions of chronic illness and disability. This paper explores arthritis as experienced by older African American women taking part in peer support groups within a health promotion program. Early discussions focused on motivations for health behavior change, particularly the desire to lose weight and fear of disability. Subsequent discussions revealed these women's struggles to renegotiate their central roles within their extended families. In contrast to dominant cultural notions, group members did not distinguish between their personal health and that of their relations and communities. The paper concludes with an examination of the strengths and liabilities of this communal orientation, along with the potential for conflict with traditional health promotion interventions.

Key Words:

• Arthritis
• chronic illness
• African-American women
• communal worldview
• peer support groups
• meanings of disability