Integrating Culture Into Health Information for African American Women

Abstract

Communication can be a powerful tool for helping meet public health objectives, including eliminating disparities in disease burden that exist between different population subgroups. Health information culturally appropriate for a specific group may be more effective in capturing attention, stimulating information processing, and motivating changes in health behavior than information that does not integrate culture. This article (a) describes and compares different communication strategies and message tactics for integrating culture into health information; (b) examines in detail the process and impact of tailoring cancer prevention and screening information to African American women based on their individual levels of religiosity, collectivism, racial pride, and time orientation; and (c) critically analyzes data from a cultural tailoring study to illustrate pros and cons of customizing health information to the cultural characteristics of a population subgroup versus different individuals within that group.