An Assessment of Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Public Health Preparation Programs

Abstract

Demographic estimates suggest that as the population continues to grow and age in the coming decades, the United States of America will continue to become a more diverse society. The increased diversification of the population makes it urgent for public health professionals, including health education specialists, to master the concepts of cultural and linguistic competence during their academic preparation to be more applied in their professional work. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incorporation of concepts of cultural and linguistic competence in the curriculum among accredited public health schools and programs and other health education and promotion programs to prepare public health education specialists. Point of contact at selected 2021 Council on Education for Public Health list of accredited Schools and Programs of Public Health and an online directory of Health Education and Promotion programs were surveyed. Descriptive statistics were calculated to examine the responses of the participants. While most of the programs reported including cultural competence content and skills in their curriculum, fewer reported inclusion of linguistic competence. Academic programs should prioritize incorporating cultural and linguistic competence in their curriculum not only because of accreditation requirements but because of the moral and professional imperatives presented by the changing demographic changes in the United States.