Perception of Obesity in African-American and Arab-American Minority Groups.

Background: Effectiveness of health education programs and interventions, designed to improve obesity rates, may vary according to perceptions of health within cultural groups.

Method: A qualitative approach was used. Two minority cultural groups (Arab-American and African-American) living in the same county were studied to compare perceptions of health, nutrition, and obesity and subsequent health behaviors.

Expectations and self-efficacy of African American parents who discuss sexuality with their adolescent sons: an intervention study.

Objective: Despite research that suggests parental communication may help deter high-risk sexual behavior among adolescents, parents report a lack of confidence in their ability to answer sexually related questions. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a multimedia intervention on outcome expectations and perceived self-efficacy for the sex educator role for parents of African American adolescent males.

Design And Sample: A pilot study using mixed methods was conducted.