Developing a Tailored Website for Promoting Awareness about Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Among Blacks in Community-Based Settings. Issue 5 (16th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Robbins, Rebecca; Senathirajah, Yalini; Williams, Natasha J.; Hutchinson, Carly; Rapoport, David M.; Allegrante, John P.; Cohall, Alwyn; Rogers, April; Ogedegbe, Olugbenga; Jean-Louis, Girardin
• Is Part Of: Health communication. Volume 34:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 567
• Page End: 575
• Publication Date: 2019-04-16
• Subjects: Communication in medicine -- Periodicals; Health in mass media -- Periodicals; 362.1014
• DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2018.1423865
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1041-0236

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Blacks are at greater risk for lower sleep quality and higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) than other racial groups. In this study, we summarize the development of a tailored website including visuals, key messages, and video narratives, to promote awareness about sleep apnea among community-dwelling blacks. We utilized mixed methods, including in-depth interviews, usability-testing procedures, and brief surveys ( n = 9, 55% female, 100% black, average age 38.5 years). Themes from the qualitative analysis illuminated varied knowledge regarding OSA symptoms and prevalent self-reported experience with sleep disturbance and OSA symptoms (e.g., snoring). On a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very high), participants provided favorable ratings of website usefulness (mean = 4.9), user friendliness (mean = 4.9) and attractiveness (mean = 4.3). Our findings suggest although tailored health communication has potential for serving as a tool for advancing health equity, usability-testing of health materials is critical to ensure that culturally and linguistically tailored messages are acceptable and actionable in the intended population.