Page 216 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

194 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

■ Create strong coalitions. Successful programs incorporate a group ’ s strengths and
explore ways to make weaknesses into opportunities. This can be accomplished only
when members of the target group are deeply involved in the planning and imple-
mentation process. The creation of strong coalitions not only increases the chances
for a successful program but also almost guarantees that the program will become
institutionalized.
■ Develop trust. Target population members may show deference and respect given a
health educator ’ s title and institutional affiliation, but that does not mean they trust

the health educator. This issue may be further compounded by feelings of betrayal or
apathy, or concerns about racism in the health education or the health care system.
The health educator needs to become familiar with the target population, participate
in community events, and be accepted into the everyday life of the community before
trust can be achieved. The health educator needs to become a familiar face in
the community and to participate in activities other than his or her own programs.

■ Select communication methods carefully. Many entry - level health educators feel
comfortable with developing written material and distributing it among the target
population, with little if any regard for people ’ s language preference and literacy
level. Although written materials are well accepted in the majority culture, not
everyone can read or likes to get printed materials, as this approach may be per-
ceived to be too clinical. This issue is further compounded when the materials are
poorly developed and show, among other problems, spelling errors.

■ Incorporate cultural assessments. One of the first things that we need to do as
health educators is to include a cultural assessment in all our program needs
assessments.

■ Incorporate cultural values, beliefs, and practices into programs. Health educa-
tion interventions that have no relevance to the target community will not suc-
ceed. Along with information gathered from Western - style medicine, we need to
include information that is relevant to the community. Whenever possible provide
a contrast between the Western and non - Western approaches to health and illness,
beliefs, and practices (Kim, McLeod, & Shantzis, 1992). Be careful not to show
reverence for one and disdain for the other.

■ Involve members of the target group in the planning and decision - making process.
These participants may include healers, informal leaders, and community organizers.

■ Accommodate different learning styles. As health educators we cannot afford to for-
get that not everyone learns in the same manner. Some people like to read, others to
explore on their own, and others to be shown. Be sure to incorporate activities that
address the different learning styles that are likely to be found in your target group.

■ Make a commitment to multiculturalism. No one can ask you to change your
beliefs any more than you can ask someone else to change his or hers. In working

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