Characteristics of Male Attendees of Health Education Interventions for Latinos

Latino subgroups in the US often shoulder a greater burden of some common diseases, including cancer. The cultural norm of
patriarchy in health-related decision-making has been found to be common among Latinos, and thus male members may be important
in the adoption of health practices amongst family members. Demographic information was collected from 488 male attendees
(20% of the total sample) as part of a larger randomized trial focused on promoting breast and cervical cancer screening among
Latinas in which attendance was open to the entire community. The majority of male attendees were over the age of 40 (62%)
and originally from Mexico (39%) or Puerto Rico (25%). Approximately half of attendees reported having no health coverage
and living less than 5 years in the United States. Male attendees demonstrated significant increases in knowledge relevant
to their group attendance. There were few significant differences between the characteristics of male attendees at a female
focused cancer program (intervention) versus more general diabetes program (control). The current study describes characteristics
of a group that may be influential in guiding health behaviors and decisions. This information extends our understanding of
community participation in health interventions and will assist in the development of effective interventions in the Latino
community.