Culturally Competent Health Care: Use of Linguistically and Culturally Appropriate Health Education Materials

These interventions use health education materials that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. These materials are designed to take into account differences in language and nonverbal communication patterns and to be sensitive to cultural beliefs and practices.

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of linguistically and culturally appropriate health education materials to increase the cultural competence of healthcare systems because of too few studies that had limitations in execution.

Task Force Finding

Results of the Systematic Review

Four studies qualified for the review and all studies examined the effectiveness of culturally sensitive health education videos. However, only one of these studies reported a change in health behaviors. The remaining studies included measures of satisfaction with the cultural relevance of the videos.

These findings were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to the social environment.

Economic Review

An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because the Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine its effectiveness.

Supporting Materials

• Analytic framework [PDF - 731KB]- See Figure 1 on page 72
• Research gaps
• Summary evidence tables [PDF - 30KB]
• Included studies
• Search strategy

Publications

Anderson LM, Scrimshaw SC, Fullilove MT, et al. Culturally competent healthcare systems: a systematic review. [PDF - 731KB] Am J Prev Med 2003;24(3S): S68-79.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations to promote healthy social environments. [PDF - 72KB] Am J Prev Med 2003;2003;24(3S):S21-4.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. The social environment. [PDF - 386KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:329-84.

More Community Guide publications about Promoting Health Through the Social Environment

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Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Culturally competent health care: use of linguistically and culturally appropriate health education materials. www.thecommunityguide.org/social/educationmaterials.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: October 2001