This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schoenberg, N. E. Articles by Dougherty, M. C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Perceptions of Community-Based Services Among African American and White Elders

University of Kentucky, Lexington

Raymond T. Coward

University of New Hampshire, Durham

Molly C. Dougherty

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Currently, researchers have an incomplete understanding of the factors and processes that influence the use of community-based services, particularly among groups known to be at high risk of poor health outcomes and in greater need of assistance, such as African Americans. Although service use involves attitudinal variables, researchers have often overlooked such factors. In this study, the authors conducted 12 focus groups to examine the perceptions of older African Americans and Whites toward community-based services. African Americans were more likely than their White counterparts to assess services positively, particularly senior citizen centers. Whites expressed less enthusiasm toward community-based services, citing a lack of comfort with services that they feel are used predominantly by African Americans, an insistence on self-reliance, and an appreciation for the availability of such services but a reluctance to use them.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. E. Scharlach, N. Giunta, J. C.-C. Chow, and A. Lehning Racial and Ethnic Variations in Caregiver Service Use J Aging Health, April 1, 2008; 20(3): 326 - 346. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. E. Schoenberg, D. Shenk, and C. S. Kart Food for Thought: Nourishing the Publication of Qualitative Research Journal of Applied Gerontology, February 1, 2007; 26(1): 4 - 16. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Cherry Who Uses Service Directories?: Extending the Behavioral Model to Information Use by Older People Research on Aging, September 1, 2002; 24(5): 548 - 574. [Abstract] [PDF]