Essentials of health, culture and diversity: understanding people, reducing disparities
by Mark Edberg
The term culture has increasingly been used in the discourse of public health, for example, with respect to issues of health disparities in the U.S., the development and implementation of ‘culturally competent’ or ‘culturally appropriate’ programs, and in many other ways. What exactly is culture, however? Published in partnership with the American Public Health Association, this newest offering in the Essential Public Health series examines what is meant by culture, the ways in which culture intersects with health issues, how public health efforts can benefit by understanding and working with cultural processes, and a brief selection of conceptual tools and research methods that are useful in identifying relationships between culture and health. Essentials of Health, Culture, and Diversity includes practical guidelines for incorporating cultural understanding in public health settings, and examples of programs where that has occurred. Looking for more real-life evidence? Check out Cases 3, 5-11, 13, 18, & 20 in Essential Case Studies in Public Health, Putting Public Health into Practice.
