Knowing your audience: A narrative review of culturally tailored health programs for youth.

Abstract

Health education is more effective when the providers/educators are knowledgeable about the population in which the education is being disseminated in and cognizant of the cultural influences on these areas of health. Simply put - "know your audience!" Because culture is who we are and what we are, it would be remis to ignore the richness of cultural foods, movement, and other health patterns. Embracing culture in its relationship to health is important. Health educators should be utilizing cultural variability and meeting the needs of specific populations. If lifestyle patterns are to be assimilated into daily practices, the behaviors must be meaningful and culturally relevant. When programs are tailored and implemented in youth and young adults, health education can take a proactive preventative role. This paper provides a perspective for approaching programming for youth, important components for tailoring educational programs, and a narrative review of educational health initiatives that seek to tailor their interventions towards youth. While programs do exist for youth, there is a need for improvement. If healthy living behaviors are to be assimilated into the cultural richness of the community in which the program is implemented, meeting the needs of youth through engaging relevant lessons is crucial.