ABSTRACT
Health issues related to African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics are covered in this chapter. A recent report (Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education [CBASSE], 1998) stated that half of all deaths in the United States can be attributed to the behavior of the individuals who died or others who exposed themselves to fatal hazards. Public policies aiming to change these behaviors can be improved by relying more systematically on behavioral science. The CBASSE report suggested that educational methods used to change unhealthy behaviors are ineffective with populations at the greatest risk. These methods fail to promote health among groups such as the poor, the uninsured, the non-English-speaking, and residents of areas underserved by the health professions. The report suggested characterizing the most serious of the behavioral health risks, examining the knowledge base of methods to promote behavior change in at-risk populations, and making practical suggestions to public health agencies for changing critical behaviors. Efforts to change critical behaviors demand that these behaviors become identified.
