Page 206 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

184 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

INTRODUCTION
In one of the earliest definitions of what our field does, the Joint Committee on Health

Problems in Education (1948) stated that the focus of health education is to provide
learning experiences designed to change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. In 1974,
the Joint Committee on Health Education Terminology identifi ed health education as
a process designed to facilitate learning and lead to behavior change. In 1992, Green-

berg and Gold defined health education as a process designed to enable individuals to

attain their optimal health status. One of the most recent definitions of health education
has been provided by the 2000 Joint Committee on Health Education and Promotion
Terminology: “ Any combination of planned learning experiences based on sound the-
ories that provide individuals, groups, and communities the opportunity to acquire
information and the skills needed to make quality health decisions ” (p. 6).
One of the fundamental tenets of health education is the requirement to provide

current, scientifically sound, and appropriate health information in order for individu-
als, groups, or communities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to attain the
highest health status they can achieve based on their biology, behaviors, and access to
the health care system. This emphasis is denoted in the American Association of Health
Educators ’ philosophy of health education, which requires health education practitio-
ners to provide accurate and timely health - related information to their target audiences
so that members of these audiences can make informed decisions that may have an
impact on their health status. This philosophy is embodied in the roles and responsibil-
ities of health educators and codifi ed in a position statement published by the Ameri-
can Association of Health Educators (AAHE) (2005).

HEALTH INDICATORS

A look at the leading health indicators reveals that approximately half of the mortality
indicators are related to behavioral patterns, making them powerful, yet modifi able,
health determinants (Krieger, 2001; Lantz et al., 2001). A close examination of the health
status of U.S. populations also reveals many health disparities related to factors such as
race and ethnicity (Barnett & Halverson, 2001; Fuchs, 1974; McLaughlin & Stokes,
2002), gender (King, LeBlanc, Sanguins, & Mather, 2006), income (Kunst & Macken-
bach, 1994; Polednak, 1993, 1996), educational status (Elo & Preston, 1996), social
class (Diez - Roux, 2001; Kaplan & Keil, 1993), and age (Flood, & Scharer, 2006), among
others. Demographic changes in the U.S. population (see Chapter One ) require us to pay
closer attention to the needs of an increasingly diverse population in this country.

Focus on Diversity

U.S. Census Bureau data indicate that significant shifts are occurring in the demo-
graphic characteristics of the U.S. population. According to these data the largest
population increases during the last ten to twenty years have occurred among members
of historically underrepresented groups, such as Hispanics (or Latinos), Asians, and

7/1/08 3:00:55 PM
c10.indd 184 7/1/08 3:00:55 PM
c10.indd 184