Reaching African Americans Through Physicians

Volume 5, Number 1 - Winter 2001

Although Americans are using seat belts in record numbers, usage is not consistent across all groups. Observational studies conducted during 2000, for example, showed that 69 percent of African Americans used safety belts, which is 5 percent less than white Americans. One of the reasons for differences in seat belt use is that, historically, much of the public education about occupant protection was developed for a "general" audience-but this is starting to change. NHTSA's Laurie Flaherty explained the importance of tailoring educational messages and strategies to specific groups within our society:

As the gains previously made on occupant protection and impaired driving plateaued, we realized we had to segment the market and create new approaches to address specific audiences. Focus group research showed that the messages we had previously developed were not reaching African Americans. The research also told us that people listen to their doctors. A number of studies show that people are more likely to act on advice coming from their doctors than from other sources. That is why we went to the National Medical Association.

The National Medical Association (NMA) is a professional association with a membership of more than 25,000 African American physicians. Working with NHTSA and the Department of Occupational and Preventive Medicine at Meharry Medical College, the NMA is developing educational materials that address the needs and concerns of the African American community. Both the NMA and Meharry have been active in this issue. Meharry's report Achieving a Credible Approach to Increasing Seat Belt Use Among African Americans and the NMA position statement "The Role of African American Physicians in Reducing Traffic-Related Injury and Death Among African Americans" are seminal documents on injury prevention in the African American community. Chaka Burgess, project director at the NMA, says, "When our members are educated about traffic injuries and realize that these injuries represent one of the most preventable causes of death in our community, they become galvanized."

The current project is developing materials to educate physicians about the importance of occupant protection and to help them provide counseling on this issue to their patients. The NMA is also using physicians as media spokespersons to deliver traffic safety messages and is using existing NHTSA materials developed to promote occupant protection among African Americans. For more information (or a copy of the NMA position statement on occupant protection), contact Chaka Burgess at NMA headquarters: telephone: (202) 347-1895, ext. 232; e-mail: chaka@nmanet.org.

A summary of Achieving a Credible Approach to Increasing Seat Belt Use Among African Americans is available on the Web at www.mmc.edu/seatbelt_safety/. The full report is available for $35 from Seatbelt Safety Center, c/o Medical Treatment Effectiveness Program, Occupational and Preventive Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208-3599.

Building Partnerships Between African American Physicians and Safe Communities Coalitions The National Medical Association would like to establish partnerships between its members and Safe Communities coalitions. To locate NMA members in your community, contact Chaka Burgess at NMA headquarters: telephone: (202) 374-1895, ext. 232; e-mail: chaka@nmanet.org. Physicians who want to locate a Safe Communities coalition should contact the Safe Communities Service Center (see page 6).

Top of Page