Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117065

Geraldine Oliva, MD, MPH, Family Health Outcomes Project, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St, Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, 415-476-5283, olivag@fcm.ucsf.edu, Jennifer Rienks, PhD(c), Family Health Outcomes Project, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, Virginia Smyly, MPH, CHES, San Francisco Department of Public Health, Community Health Promotion & Prevention, 30 Van Ness Ave, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94102, Linda D. Mack Burch, MPH, Family Health Outcomes Project, Depart. of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, and Judith A. Belfiori, MA, MPH, Family Health Outcomes Project, Dept of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118.

Community discussion groups, convened to identify strategies to eliminate disparities in infant mortality between African American and Whites in San Francisco, identified lack of cultural sensitivity and racism in health and social service providers as barriers to prenatal and infant care. Objective: To describe the immediate and longer term results of cultural competency (CC) training for service providers. Methods: Learning and outcome objectives were agreed upon by project partners. Providers were recruited from agencies serving African Americans in targeted neighborhoods. Participants completed a pre and post training CC knowledge test and skills assessment. A baseline, 3 and 6-month follow-up self-administered questionnaire on use of culturally competent practices in participants offices or organizations was used to assess longer-term impact. Results: 78 providers attended one of two trainings. Participants included physicians, nurses, social and health workers and administrators. Pre/post test data showed significant knowledge gain. Most participants (65%) reported increased confidence in accessing up-to-date CC resources, 78% increased confidence in ability to describe how provider bias impacts patients, 75% increased confidence in using recommended communication tools and 63 % increased confidence in ability to describe social conditions that impact high infant mortality rates. Initial 3-month follow-up of attendees at the first training showed a 100% increase in providers having a checklist for tips on CC and over 20% increase in the availability of culturally appropriate materials for staff and clients. Further data will be presented on the details of the evaluation. Cultural competency training appears to be a promising intervention.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe the elements of a cultural competency a curriculum for health and social service agencies serving the African American infants and their families
• To articulate the impact on provider knowledge and behavior of a cultural competency training
• To discuss challenges in evaluating the impact of an educational intervention in decreasing racial health disparities

Keywords: Infant Mortality, Communication Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.