Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To review the success of barbershops as vehicles for health promotion and outline the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP), a rapidly growing, replicable model for health promotion through barbershops. METHODS: BBHOP was established by clinicians in order to enhance community level awareness of and empowerment for cardiometabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At coordinated events utilizing existing infrastructures as well as culturally and gender-specific health promotion, BBHOP volunteers screen for diabetes and hypertension and reinforce lifestyle recommendations for the prevention of cardiometabolic disorders from the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Patrons with abnormal findings are referred to participating physicians or health care facilities. We performed a selective review of the literature in order to place this model for health promotion in the context of previous efforts in barbershops. BBHOP is among several successful programs that have sought to promote health in barbershops. Combining a grassroots organization approach to establishing a broad-based network of volunteers and partner agencies with substantial marketing expertise and media literacy, the BBHOP has screened more than 7000 African American men in nearly 300 barbershops from more than 20 cities across 6 states. CONCLUSIONS: The BBHOP is an effective method for community level health promotion and referral for cardio-metabolic diseases, especially for AA men, one of the nation's most vulnerable populations.