Research on African American men's health is limited. Perception and knowledge of health may have a significant effect on health seeking behavior and self care. This study was designed to examine factors that may influence health perception and knowledge among African American males. This is a cross-sectional study of 343 African American males from Jackson, Mississippi and vicinity. The main outcome variables were health perception and health knowledge. Education, age, martial status, and health insurance were significantly associated with health perception. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that education and age were the strongest predictors, with education having a stronger effect than age. Factors that influence health knowledge included age, martial status, and health insurance. This study found several important factors that are associated with African-American males' perceptions of their health. Future research is needed so that culture-specific programs can be developed. (Contains 4 tables.)