African Self-Consciousness and Health-Promoting Behaviors among African American College Students

Abstract

Empirical research has not examined the explicit relationship between cultural identity and health-promoting behavior. This study proposed three models of relationships between African self-consciousness (ASC), health consciousness (HC), and health-promoting behaviors (HPB) in a sample of African American college students. One model suggested that the relationship between ASC and HPB would be mediated by HC, whereas a second model hypothesized a moderating effect of HC. A third model denoted that ASC and HC might be orthogonal predictors of HPB. Eighty participants completed measures of ASC, HC, and HPB. Statistical analyses lent support for the third model and indicated that ASC contributes unique variance to HPB beyond that contributed by HC. These results emphasize the need for sound research that examines the role of cultural identity in health promotion among African Americans.