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Background: Experts have called for communication and mobilization efforts to address racial disparities in STDs. In response, CDC and its partners developed a campaign toolkit, Health Is Power, to reach African-American men (ages 18-30) with sex-positive messaging promoting condom use, healthy relationships, sexual-health service seeking, and partner communication (www.ashasexualhealth.org/sexual-health/mens-health/health-power/). This research sought to glean consumer marketing insights to guide STD partners in their efforts to reach African-American men by using effective channels and strategies.
Methods: We analyzed data from the Scarborough USA 2015 Release (February 2014-March 2015), a Nielsen market research survey of adults (>18 years), to understand African-American men’s values, health/risk beliefs and behaviors, and information sources.
Results: A total of 1,150 African-American men (18-29 years) completed the survey, representing 1.3% of the total sample. Among them, 4.9% reported having an STD/HIV test and 43.4% reported having an annual physical exam in the past year. Whereas 51.4% believe they do everything they can to maintain personal health/wellness and 70.3% say they’re always looking to live healthier lives, only 33% reported participating in preventive healthcare. Another 32.6% are concerned that their unhealthy habits will catch up with them. Values and priorities include spending time with family (72.3%), taking time for themselves (76.3%), and rising to the top of their profession (72.3%). Most (75%) also believe that life should be as much fun as possible. Top information channels are mobile devices (e.g., smartphones; 67%), Internet (64.7%) and radio (59.8%). Almost half believe that radio (43.4%) and Internet (42.3%) provide useful information about new services, and 20.3% report making a doctor’s appointment in response to a health advertisement in the last year.
Conclusions: This research identifies gaps in African-American men’s health beliefs and preventive behaviors, as well as values and channels that STD partners should leverage to craft/deliver effective sexual health messages.