Hair Salons as Partners for Promotion of Diabetes Awareness in African Americans

Objective: Describe how hair salons can be a non traditional partner in promoting diabetes awareness in minority communities

Methods:  Using focus group input, a  12" x 38" color poster focusing on diabetes awareness in the African American community was developed and printed.  The first round of mailing the poster included 498 hair salons in three urban areas of Connecticut as well as  thirty community health centers and 26  diabetes education centers across the state. The second round of mailings went to 193 hair salons and 179 churches in towns whose census data showed high proportion of African American residents. A follow-up survey has been sent to the first round of poster mailing recipients as described in the results section below. A follow-up survey of the second mailing will be sent on November.

Results: Seventy three of  505 (15%) follow-up surveys were returned by the hair salons, community health centers and diabetes education centers.  Sixty of the 73 (83%) stated they were able to display the poster. Fifty per cent of those who reported displaying the poster stated that their clients commented on the poster with the vast majority of the comments being positive.

Conclusion: Hair salons are an appropriate, non-traditional partner to get out diabetes, and other, health messages.