HEALTH BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS: ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD THE HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 GOALS?

Despite efforts to decrease health disparities they continue to exist and have increased in some health areas. Interventions are needed that educate the public about health disparities and to determine ways to implement culturally appropriate and gender specific programs that include evaluation and monitoring tools. After the intervention has been completed it is important to track what progress the intervention made towards attaining the target goals outlined by Healthy People 2010. This paper documents health behaviors related to diet, nutrition and physical activity of African Americans living in the Midwest, compares their health outcomes to the targeted Healthy People 2010 goals, and determines whether the designed intervention improved their health behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]