Most black men avoid a doctor 's visit

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- African-American men, who die an average of seven years earlier than white men or other ethnic groups, say a visit to the doctor is often a bad experience.

Principal investigator Derek Griffith, Julie Ober Allen and Katie Gunter of the University of Michigan School of Public Health say a majority of 105 African-American men in the study say they avoid going to the doctor because visits are stressful and physicians don't give useful information on how to make lifestyle changes.

The 14 focus groups of urban, middle-age African American men in the Midwest say they knew they needed to lose weight, change eating habits or become more physically active before visiting the doctor, and they hoped the doctor would help them map out how to make the necessary lifestyle changes without sacrificing time with spouses and children.

The men say doctors don't understand that a healthier lifestyle meant the men had to give up other meaningful activities, the researchers say.

"The reality is that many men want to adopt healthier lifestyles but face significant challenges beyond health insurance and the cost of care, Griffith says in a statement.

"They are concerned about their health and are more knowledgeable about the changes they need to make than they are often given credit for."

The findings are published in Research on Social Work Practice.