Role of Black churches in health promotion programs: lessons from the Los Angeles Mammography Promotion in Churches Program.

Abstract

This article assesses pastor-level factors that affect the successful recruitment and implementation of community-based health promotion programs in Black churches. Semistructured interviews with 16 pastors of Black churches were analyzed for content. We found that although the involvement of Black pastors in an array of secular activities makes them open to participate in health programs, their overcommitment to other issues can negatively influence their ability to participate. Second, although Black pastors appreciate being included in and benefiting from health research, minorities' history of being underserved and exploited can lead to suspiciousness and reluctance to participate. Our findings suggest that those interested in developing church-based health programs in the Black community must be attuned to how the same factors can both facilitate and hinder a program's development.