Page 74 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

52 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion
A growing concern over the lack of multicultural representation in leadership
roles and in the workforce in the fi eld of health education relates to the fourth princi-
ple, which is that compliance with and adoption of healthy behaviors are strongly
linked to the cultural orientation of the messenger. Clients ’ “ look like me, ” “ talk like

me, ” and “ act like me ” perceptions are critical to the influence that the health educator
has on them. The absence of language barriers, of differences in health beliefs, and of
problems with accessing health care produces a trusting relationship that promotes
comprehension, compliance, and hope for a mutually acceptable health resolution.
Inherent in the personal and discipline - specific health education principles

described here are the basic principles of participation, empowerment, and cultural
sensitivity, which must also be addressed if health education programs are to be suc-
cessful in any setting. These and the many other principles that relate to the fi eld of
health education help us to further define cultural competence in health education and

to adopt codes of ethics, standards, and practices that are multiculturally sensitive to
the persons in the profession and to those who are served by the profession (Deeds,
Cleary, & Neiger, 1996).

CULTURALLY COMPETENT PRACTICES IN DIVERSE SETTINGS
Cultural beliefs and experiences, when properly understood, can be used to promote the
success of health education programs in any cultural setting (Braithwaite & Taylor, 1992,
2001). The health educator is trained to work appropriately in a variety of settings —
including the community, schools, churches, industry, hospitals, and businesses — and with
individuals, families, and groups. Each of these settings is culture bound and may require
the health educator to possess cultural competence that is unique, sensitive, and linguisti-
cally appropriate to the setting of the target culture (Braithwaite & Taylor, 1992).

The Community
In the community, the health educator interacts with key formal and lay leaders and
large groups of people sharing an interest in a health problem or issue. The cultural
competence needed here must address the global health beliefs, practices, and prefer-
ences of this group. Programs, services, and resources must match what the commu-
nity deems to be important and must be provided at a time that fits the conditions of

this targeted population.
Schools

In the school setting, factors such as age, language styles, peer influence, crowded cur-
riculum schedules, part - time jobs and extra class activities, full - time working parents,
and technological devices may be external forces competing with the recruitment of
students to participate in the adoption of healthy behaviors. Teenagers see themselves
as invincible; thus they care little about choosing the nutrient density of milk over the
extra calories in sweet drinks. Social - networking platforms, such as Facebook,
MySpace, e - mail, chat rooms, and podcasting, supersede the desire to “ shoot some

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