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Cultural Competence and Health Education 53

hoops ” for the nonathletic youth. The cultural competence of the health educator in the
school setting requires creativity to influence this age group to adopt health - enhancing

behaviors. Ideas involving hip - hop dancing and changing fashions in clothes and hair-
styles may be typical of the kinds of approaches the health educator can use to moti-
vate youths and teens to exercise and to become more nutrition and weight conscious.
Cultural competence in the school setting implies knowledge of the specific needs and

interests of this target population. Marbley et al. (2007) suggest that cultural compe-

tence also requires a culture - specific pedagogy that bridges the gap between the
cultural past of the group and the daily issues of the present in the hope of directing
participants ’ future aspirations.

Churches and Other Faith - Based Organizations
Health educators often rely on theoretical frameworks like health belief models to
explain health behaviors. Health beliefs that advocate that the power to achieve lies
within the inner self of the individual may be in direct contrast to the teachings of a
client ’ s church or the beliefs of his or her faith. The cultural competence of the health
educator working or volunteering in a church or faith - based organization requires
knowledge of religion, spiritual beliefs, and practices and their impact on the attitudes,

beliefs, and behaviors of the churchgoer. Oftentimes there is a conflict between what
the health educator views as scientifically factual and what the congregation or church

leaders believe or preach as spiritually acceptable. For example, congregations may
learn that to practice a faith “ as small as a mustard seed ” is sufficient to guide them

through challenges of disease, death, and other misfortunes, secure in the belief that
their faith will prevail. The spirituality of many cultures requires the culturally competent
health educator to balance science with faith. Compliance with and adoption of healthy
behaviors rest upon this balance. (See Chapter Five for a full discussion on the topic of
religion and spirituality.)

Individual and Family Settings
The health educator working with individuals and families is often confronted with
personal and family values that differ from the values among the majority population
or those held by the educator. Encouraging individuals and families to adopt healthy
behaviors voluntarily may be more successful when a partnership is established that
acknowledges and respects these differences. Here cultural competence implies a fl ex-
ible and collaborative effort by all parties involved. There may be an opportunity here
(one not unique to this setting) for the individual or the family to recognize that reach-
ing the goal of being a healthier person or a healthier family is a solution - seeking ven-
ture where one ’ s culture may either hinder or help in the adoption of healthy behaviors.
Consider a family where children who complete their schoolwork early are rewarded
with unlimited television watching and thus they oversleep each morning and miss
breakfast. Such a family lifestyle and values probably limit the academic success of
the children. The culturally competent health educator will explore with the family

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