The Lived Experience of Staying Healthy in Rural African American Families

Abstract

Decreased government spending for public health programs and increased government expectations that consumers should take responsibility for self-care and health promotion activities are current trends (Lee & Estes, 1990; Naisbitt, 1984). The purpose of this study was to reveal through phenomenological analysis the meaning of staying healthy for the participants. Staying healthy emerged as a dynamic response to life events that involved activity and relatedness in synchrony with life's rules and emotional tranquility. The findings confirm that phenomenological research can reveal the meaning of health within the context of culture and support the conceptualization of health as a developmental process for African American families.