Observational Study in Ten Beauty Salons: Results Informing Development of the North Carolina BEAUTY and Health Project

• Published in: Health education & behavior Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 790 - 807
• Main Authors: Solomon, Felicia M., Linnan, Laura A., Wasilewski, Yvonne, Lee, Ann Marie, Katz, Mira L., Yang, Jingzhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications 01.12.2004; SAGE Publications; Sage; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Beauty Culture; Beauty salons; Biological and medical sciences; Black or African American; Black People - education; Cancer; Cosmetology; Empathy; Female; Health Behavior; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; Helping Relationship; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Intervention; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; North Carolina; Observation; Observational Learning; Observational studies; Physical Environment; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Role; Self Disclosure; Social Environment; Social Support Groups; Speech Communication; White People - education; Work Environment; North Carolina; United States; North America; America; social support; work-site health; beauty salons; observational study; Cosmetic; Human; Participation; Nutrition; Cosmetology; Female; Aesthetics; Health education; User behavior; Public health
• ISSN: 1090-1981; 1552-6127
• DOI: 10.1177/1090198104264176

Researchers from the North Carolina BEAUTY and Health Project conducted an observational study in 10 North Carolina beauty salons to gain insight into naturally occurring conversations between cosmetologists and customers, and to assess features of the salon environment that might be used to inform the development of salon-based health promotion interventions. Results revealed that the social environment of a salon is a place where cosmetologists and customers talk openly about many subjects, including health. Information, advice, appraisal, humor, and empathy are typically shared in these health conversations. Several features of the physical environment of the salon may be mobilized to support health—access to healthy foods, snacks, and beverages; smoking restrictions; and availability of print or video materials, signs, or displays that include healthy messages. Implications for planning salon-based health promotion interventions—including the training of licensed cosmetologists to deliver health messages—are discussed in light of these findings.