Black Americans' Health Attitudes and Behavior - US - April 2006

Table of Contents

• Introduction and Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Data for this report
• Definition
• Other relevant reports
• Abbreviations and terms
• Abbreviations
• Terms
• Executive Summary
• One in eight Americans are black
• Blacks concentrated in cities, the South
• The role of the black woman
• Black income rising
• Education changing health attitudes
• Health insurance penetration lower among blacks
• Blacks visit doctors less often than average
• Market potential in optical aids for black people
• Blacks potentially valuable to pharmaceutical market
• Blacks like sweets, and dont feel guilty
• Blacks attitudes differ by demographics and within demographics
• Background Factors
• Size of the black population
  • Figure 1: U.S. population, by race/ethnicity, 2006
• Spending power
  • Figure 2: Earned income of blacks, 1999-2004
  • Figure 3: Forecast of blacks earned income, at current and constant prices, 2004-09
  • Figure 4: Graph: Forecast of blacks earned income, at current and constant prices, 2004-09
• Rising number of affluent black households
  • Figure 5: Household income, by race/ethnicity, 2005
  • Figure 6: Graph: Household income, by race/ethnicity, 2005
• Black population increasing faster than population as a whole
  • Figure 7: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2001-11
• Concentration of the black population
  • Figure 8: U.S. population, by rural or urban area, by race/ethnicity 2004
• The new suburban community
• The black population skews young
  • Figure 9: Age distribution of the population, by race/ethnicity, 2006
• The black household and the importance of the black woman
  • Figure 10: Households, by race/Hispanic origin of householder and presence of children, 2004
  • Figure 11: Black households, by type of household and presence of children, 2004
  • Figure 12: Households with children, by age and race/Hispanic origin of householder, 2004
• Teen pregnancy
• Increasing home ownership
  • Figure 13: Home ownership, by race and Hispanic origin, 2005
  • Figure 14: Homeowners, by race and Hispanic origin, 1995-2005
• Educational attainment
  • Figure 15: Percentage of blacks (aged 25+) who have completed high school and college, 1990-2004.
• Marketing to blacks
• Blacks and advertising
• Health Challenges Facing the Black Community
• Overview
• Obesity
  • Figure 16: Overweight and obese people aged 20+, by race/Hispanic origin, by gender, 1988-94 and 1999-2002
• Children and obesity
  • Figure 17: Prevalence of overweight in children aged 6-19, by age and race/ethnicity, 2002
• Hypertension
  • Figure 18: Hypertension among over-20s, by gender, age, and race/Hispanic origin, 1988-94 and 1999-2002
• Diabetes
  • Figure 19: Diabetes among over-20s, by gender, age, and race/Hispanic origin, 1988-94 and 1999-2002
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• HIV/AIDS
• Glaucoma
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Kidney disease
• Health and Other Insurances
•  Health insurance
  • Figure 20: Health insurance coverage, by race and Hispanic origin, 2003
• Consumer input regarding health and life insurance penetration
  • Figure 21: Life and health insurance penetration, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 22: Life and health insurance penetration, by household income--all respondents and blacks, May 2004-May 2005
• Differences by demographic groups
• Other types of insurance
  • Figure 23: Types of insurance owned, by race/ethnicity, March 2006
• Reasons for not having insurance
  • Figure 24: Reasons for not having health insurance, by race/ethnicity, March 2006
• Doctors visits
  • Figure 25: Health professionals consulted in last 12 months, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 26: Graph: Health professionals consulted in last 12 months, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 27: Behavior regarding illness, medicine and doctors--blacks, by demographics, May 2004-May 2005
• Access to mental health services
• Marketing Opportunities in Specific Health Problems
• Introduction
• Impaired vision, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes
  • Figure 28: Ailments, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 29: Graph: Ailments, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Asthma
  • Figure 30: Diagnosis of asthma, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
• Cigarettes
  • Figure 31: Black smokers, by region, May 2004-May 2005
• Differences by demographic groups
• Eyeglasses and contact lenses
• Potential for aspirational consumers
  • Figure 32: Amount spent on glasses or contact lenses, by race/ethnicity, March 2006
  • Figure 33: Extra glasses purchases, by race/ethnicity, March 2006
• Reasons for not trying contact lenses
  • Figure 34: Reasons for not trying contact lenses, by race/ethnicity, March 2006
• Type of eyeglasses worn
  • Figure 35: Type of eyeglasses worn, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Type of contact lenses worn
  • Figure 36: Preference for contact lenses, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 37: Graph: Preference for contact lenses, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Conclusions
• OTC and Prescription Medication
• Attitudes towards prescription, OTC, and alternative medication
  • Figure 38: Attitudes towards medication, physicians, and herbal remedies, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
  • Figure 39: Graph: Attitudes towards medication, physicians, and herbal remedies, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
  • Figure 40: Attitudes towards ailments, insurance, and OTC medications, January 2005
  • Figure 41: Graph: Attitudes towards ailments, insurance, and OTC medications, January 2005
  • Figure 42: Attitudes towards medication branding, vitamins and minerals, and collecting information about health, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005Figure 43: Graph: Attitudes towards medication branding, vitamins and minerals, and collecting information about health, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Use of OTC medication
  • Figure 44: Use of OTC remedies, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 45: Graph: Use of OTC remedies, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 46: Use of cold/allergy/sinus remedies by black respondents, by household income, May 2004-May 2005
• Vitamins
  • Figure 47: Use of vitamins, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Summary
• Diet and Exercise
• Diet
• Attitudes and habits concerning diet
  • Figure 48: Attitudes towards current diet, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 49: Graph: Attitudes towards current diet, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 50: Attitudes towards the healthfulness of foods, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 51: Graph: Attitudes towards the healthfulness of foods, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 52: Food choices, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
  • Figure 53: Graph: Food choices, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
• Blacks display heightened beverage consumption
  • Figure 54: Drinking habits, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
  • Figure 55: Graph: Drinking habits, by race/ethnicity, January 2005
• Salty snacks
  • Figure 56: Salty snacks eaten in household, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 57: Average number of servings of salty snacks eaten in past 30 days, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Black teens and salty snacks
  • Figure 58: Teens usage of salty snacks, by race/ethnicity, May 2004-May 2005
• Exercise
  • Figure 59: Engagement in a regular exercise program--blacks, by demographics, May 2004-May 2005
• Attitudes of blacks who exercise differ from those who do not
  • Figure 60: Attitudes towards health and looking younger, by whether respondent exercises, May 2004-May 2005
  • Figure 61: Attitudes towards doctors and pharmaceuticals, by whether respondent exercises, May 2004-May 2005
• Conclusions: a difficult market
• Attitude and Behavior by Black Demographics
• Overview
• African-American men and women
• Differences by age
• Differences by income
• Education
• Region
• Appendix: Trade Associations