Journal of cultural diversity最新文献

Students in training to become future healthcare providers must be trained not only how to provide quality care but also how to effectively communicate with patients, regardless of the patient's cultural background. Poor communication between provider and patient when racial or ethnic backgrounds differ between patient and provider is a relevant factor in suboptimal healthcare services to ethnic minorities. This pilot study was conducted to examine changes in the scores on the Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy (SEE)for first year nursing (n = 40) and dental students (n = 42)following an intervention. Participants completed an anonymous online survey that included the SEE, a validated measure of empathy toward people with racial and ethnic backgrounds different from one's own prior to the intervention (baseline), immediately following the intervention workshop (post-test) and one month following the workshop (follow-up). Results showed statistically significant increases from baseline to post-intervention on the SEE (p < .05), and these gains were maintained at follow-up. This study is the first to examine whether an intervention specifically designed to improve students' understanding of racial groups discordant from their own actually improves empathy and communication. Results from this pilot study support that controlled trials are warranted.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), African Americans have a substantially greater prevalence of a range of health conditions when compared to other racial or ethnic groups. Many of these conditions have been attributed to the historical and contemporary social and economic disparities faced by the African American community. While many health conditions occur at a higher rate in African Americans, it is unclear whether there are specific symptom clusters that may also be more prevalent in African Americans as a result of these disparities. Potential differences in symptomology have not been thoroughly examined between African Americans and White populations. The current study compares the prevalence and pain severity of symptoms among a sample of African Americans and White participants. Significant differences in symptom prevalence were found in disturbed sleep and reproductive areas. African Americans also experience more pain due to symptoms related to orthostatic intolerance. Implications of this finding are discussed.

Purpose: To examine the effects of incorporating tribal specific cultural beliefs into a tailored substance abuse prevention intervention for at risk rural Oklahoma Native American Indian (NAI) Plains adolescents.

Research design: The 10 hour Native American Talking Circle Intervention, a school-based, group substance abuse prevention program, was implemented over a 8.5 week period and evaluated using a one group, pretest-posttest design. Measurements were from the Native Self-Reliance Questionnaire and the Substance Problems Scale from Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Quick (GAIN-Q).

Findings: One-tailed, paired sample t-tests demonstrated significant increase in self-reliance, from 86.227 to 92.204 (t (43) = -2.580, p = .007) and a decrease in substance abuse/use, from 2.265 to 1.265 (t (33) = 1.844, p = .007).

Conclusions: The Native Talking Circle Intervention based on tribal-specific values and beliefs was shown to be effective with substance abuse/use at-risk NAI Plains tribal adolescents.

This review of the literature identifies themes, variable, goals, and gaps in the literature related to HIV and AIDS among African American women. Black Feminist Epistemology and symbolic interactionism are used as a theoretical perspective and philosophical framework to examine experiences and social behaviors of African-American women and to guide and framework to explain the findings from the literature. This theoretical perspective/philosophical framework can also be used in understanding processes used by African-American women in behavioral, social, and intimate interactions.

This study explored culturally related health practices among Hispanic migrant seasonal farmworkers. In this cross-sectional qualitative study, six Hispanic migrant seasonal farmworkers from southeastern Michigan farms were interviewed. Four major themes emerged from the study. Financial and employment limitations, rather than folk health care practices, were more likely to influence use of professional care systems. There was limited use of folk healers and culturally-related practices, primarily due to lack of access. Results may be used to identify needs and develop culturally appropriate programs and services to improve the health of Hispanic migrant seasonal farmworkers.

Given the importance of multicultural education, its impact on students and the ensuing impact on society, it would appear that studies assessing the efficacy of how social justice issues are taught appear to be essential. However, most studies assessing the efficacy of multicultural teacher education coursework appears to be inconclusive. This paper poses the following questions: to what extent is it possible for students who are teachers and administrators in American schools to engage in a multicultural graduate course taught using a social reconstructionist approach to see outside the boundaries of their own perspectives; and to what extent might a multicultural education course have a lasting impact on their personal and professional lives. Additionally, the study asks whether the effects of a multicultural course may be long lasting and significant.

Obstacles that prevent rural African Americans (AAs) from regularly engaging in cancer screening were explored, and a theoretical approach was formulated utilizing social networks as a culturally sensitive form of health promotion. Disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality continue to exist between AAs and Caucasians in the United States. Often rural dwellers are further disadvantaged because of a potential lack of medical and financial resources and low health literacy. Social networks provide an existing framework where health concerns are discussed and health interventions in cancer screening can strengthen or encourage relevant health behaviors in rural AAs and other disadvantaged populations.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was done using the Acculturation Rating scale of Arab Americans-II, and the Health Promotion and Lifestyle Profile II to assess the relationship between acculturation and health promotion practices among Arab Americans. Findings showed that attraction to American culture was the most important predictor of physical activity; whereas attraction to Arabic culture was the most important predictor of stress management and nutritional practices. Results suggest that, when demographics are controlled, acculturation predicts various health promotion practices in different patterns among members of this group. These findings contribute to a better understanding of acculturation's influence on immigrants' health promotion practices.

The terms mainstream America and mainstream American are often used but infrequently defined. The purpose of this study was to explore definitions of these terms among a multiethnic sample of 158 college students. Two major themes emerged from a qualitative analysis: 1) an exclusionary definition as U.S.-born, dominated by Whites and of Judeo-Christian faith versus the predominant, more inclusive, contemporary definition of sharing American values and practices within a diverse society and 2) a contrast between highly critical comments (weakened family ties, moral decay, racism) and favorable comments (opportunity, helpfulness, openness and inclusiveness). Responses by ethnic group were also reported.

It is important to examine empirical evidence of cultural competence among health care providers and to understand how it is assessed from an organizational context. There is a dearth of information about these concepts. Given its relevance to caring for diverse patient populations, the purpose of this paper is to present findings from a mixed method study which conducted a general cultural assessment survey of Nurse Managed Health Centers (NMHCs) that were affiliates of the National Nursing Centers Consortium. Findings enabled the authors to formulate recommendations that could strengthen the cultural competence of staff Organizational leadership and advanced practice nurses would benefit from more intentional efforts to increase proficiency of NMHC staff members in their cultural knowledge and sensitivity skills when delivering care to the populations they serve.