Author

Lizeth Tapia

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Date of Award

Fall 2023

Abstract

Background: Hispanics living in the U.S have poor health compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Hispanics experience more disease, a higher likelihood of dying from chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease and unintentional injuries. Aside from prevention knowledge and access to healthcare, another factor that can affect Hispanic health is the patient-provider relationships. More specifically, culturally competent healthcare providers are more likely to have better communication and interactions with their patients as they understand their culture and can apply it into the healthcare setting. Therefore, cultural competency is key to improving health outcomes among Hispanic patients and an important skill to have for students entering various health and human service careers. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of cultural competency among college students and see how they differ based on the type of health-related profession being pursued. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from an online Qualtrics survey to measure cultural competency using the Cultural Competence Assessment (CCA). College students from various health and human services professional programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce were recruited via email, social media and word of mouth to complete the survey. Descriptive analysis was done to compare cultural competence scores among various demographic groups. Bivariate correlations was used to examine any associations between that study variables. Results: Responses from 46 participants were analyzed using SPSS with majority identifying as being white (43.5%), age 18-34 (60.9), female (37%), employed (82.6%), with a household income between $0-$50,000 (69.6%), and in a psychology/counseling/social work program (39.1%). Overall, participants with more experience interacting with diverse populations, cultural diversity training had higher mean overall scores of cultural competency. Furthermore, a positive association was found between knowledge about Hispanics and cultural competency. Conclusion: Culturally competent providers have better communication and interaction with Hispanic patients which improves the provision of quality care. Findings highlight differences in cultural competency score based on exposure to diverse others whether learned in a class or through interactions with diverse others. Therefore, efforts to increase awareness and exposure to diverse others as part of a student’s learning and career preparation is key. These findings can be used to inform curriculum design and student preparation for students in various health and human services programs.

Advisor

Elizabeth Wachira

Keywords

Cultural competence; Hispanic health; health disparities; Cultural Competence Assessment

Included in

Public Health Commons

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