| The purpose of this study is to explore the ways which urban, older, black women get health information and some of the factors that influence such activity.;Data were collected utilizing a 50 item interview instrument developed for the study and administered in three neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. In-person structured interviews were conducted with a selected group of forty-five African American women over the age of sixty-five. Sites for the interviews included a senior center, a community health clinic, and an apartment building for seniors. Participants ranged in age from 65 to 88 years old, and were essentially healthy individuals with good Activities of Daily Living scores.;This research used "Health Belief Model," a theoretical framework used to indicate individuals' responses to health concerns, and had the subjects analyze proverbs or "old sayings" as a means of observing the level of internal/external locus of control, individualism, and cooperativeness among the sample.;Among the findings: (1) Respondents receive health information from their physicians, the mass media, and from members of their social networks. (2) Age, education, self-reported literacy, and accessibility influence reading activities and library use. (3) More than 97 percent thought it likely that the public library had health information that could help them, but only 24 percent were regular library users.;This study addressed the following research questions: (1) From what sources do older African American women in urban areas seek health information? (2) What are the factors that influence health information seeking behavior? (3) What role does the mass media play in the provision of health information? and (4) Does the public library in an urban area have a role in the health information seeking behavior of older black women?;Adequate and accessible health information is the first step in preventive health practices which many individuals are able to provide for themselves. An assessment of the extent to which adequate health information is available, sought, and used is an important area of research that could impact the lives of older African American women on economic, social, and political levels. |
