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based organizations working with diverse populations. In addition, health educators
need to seek continuing professional development throughout their careers to enhance
their understanding about terms such as race, culture, ethnicity, diversity, and the most
recent research and practices related to cultural competency. Finally, health educators
need to incorporate the concept of cultural competence into every aspect of the plan-
ning, implementation, and evaluation of health education and promotion programs.

Rationale
Health educators provide services, in a variety of settings, to a wide variety of individ-
uals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. As the population becomes more
racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse, cultural competency in health education
and health promotion becomes fundamental. Given their prominent role in improving
the health of the population, it is imperative that health educators possess culturally
and linguistically appropriate skills that will enable them to interact effectively with
1
various target populations, thereby increasing health literacy.

The Joint Committee on Health Education and Promotion Terminology defi nes
2
the term cultural competence as: “ The ability of an individual to understand and
respect values, attitudes, beliefs, and mores that differ across cultures, and to consider
and respond appropriately to these differences in planning, implementing, and evalu-
ating health education and promotion programs and interventions. ” According to the
3
Census Bureau (2000), the U.S. population has reached its most diverse composition.
In addition, population projections suggest that the number of White non - Hispanics
will continue to decrease in the next few decades. This racial and ethnic diversifi cation
of the U.S. population further establishes the need to incorporate the concept of cul-
tural competence into every aspect of health education and promotion programs, as
well as into the training of the next generation of health educators. Moreover, cultur-
ally competent health interventions have been described as an approach to achieve the
4, 5

goals of Healthy People 2010. Finally, cultural competency is a natural evolution
from the cultural awareness and sensitivity advocated by the American Association for
Health Education in its book entitled Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity: Guidelines
6
for Health Educators.
The American Association for Health Education is an association of the American
Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance: 1900 Association
Drive, Reston, VA 20191; telephone: 703 - 476 - 3437; fax: 703 - 476 - 6638; e - mail:
aahe@aahperd.org .

NOTES
1. Luquis, R., & Pérez, M. Achieving cultural competence: The challenges for
health educators. American Journal of Health Education. 2003; 34(3): 131 – 138.
2. Report of the 2000 Joint Committee on Health Education and Promotion Termi-
nology. American Journal of Health Education. March/April 2001; 32(2): 11.

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