COH310

Rodriguez-Villa, E., Mehta, U. M., Naslund, J. A., Tugnawat, D., Aref-Adib, G., Arya, S., Jayaram, G., O’Keefe, S., Torous, J., & Kishore, S. P. (2021). Cross-cultural and global uses of a digital mental health app. Global Mental Health, 8, e30.
This review shows that cultural activities improve mental health and well-being in adults over 40. This systematic review, based on the biopsychosocial model, examines the effectiveness of culture-based activities in improving health-related outcomes among middle-aged and older adults. It included 11 studies with healthy adults aged over 40 years and showed a positive association between cultural participation and better mental health, resilience, well-being, and social relations. The review suggests that cultural engagement can be an effective way for individuals to maintain and enhance their health and well-being. For students, it demonstrates how cultural engagement can be a tool for maintaining and improving community health.

Gerend, M. A., Stephens, Y. P., Kazmer, M. M., Slate, E. H., & Reyes, E. (2021). Acculturation and health beliefs: Interactions between host and heritage culture underlie Latina/o caregivers' beliefs about HPV vaccination. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 23(1), 113–120.
The study explores how acculturation (adopting host culture) and enculturation (retaining heritage culture) affect Latina/o caregivers' beliefs about HPV vaccination. It finds that high acculturation leads to favorable beliefs, while low acculturation combined with high enculturation also supports vaccination. Individuals with low acculturation and low enculturation may experience a sense of cultural marginalization, where they do not strongly identify with either their host culture or their heritage culture. This is relevant to students as it highlights the complex interplay between cultural adaptation and health behaviors.

Parag, N., Govender, R., & Ally, S. B. (2023). Promoting cultural inclusivity in healthcare AI: A framework for ensuring diversity. Health Management, Policy & Innovation (HMPI).
Artificial intelligence (AI) is proving to be a transformative force in healthcare, promising improved diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. However, the application of AI in healthcare is not without challenges, especially in the context of cultural diversity. The authors propose a framework for AI adoption in culturally diverse settings, emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations, transparency, and cultural competence.

Upadhyay, S., Hu, X., & De Roode, W. (2022). Hospital cultural competency and attributes of patient safety culture. Journal of Patient Safety, 18(3), e680–e686.
Given the increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the United States, hospitals face challenges in providing safe and high-quality care to minority patients. Cultural competency fostered through engagement in diversity programs can be used as a resourceful strategy to provide safe care and improve the patient safety culture. This article examined the association between cultural competency and employees’ perceived safety culture attributes.

Ahad, A. A., Sanchez-Gonzalez, M., & Junquera, P. (2023). Understanding and addressing mental health stigma across cultures for improving psychiatric care: A narrative review. Cureus, 15(5), e39549.
This literature review explores how stigma—rooted in stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination—hinders psychiatric care across cultures, leading to delayed treatment and poorer health outcomes. By analyzing global research, it identifies commonalities and differences in psychiatric stigma and proposes culturally tailored strategies to reduce its impact, fostering more equitable mental health care.

Chandler, R., Guillaume, D., Parker, A.G., Carter, S., & Hernandez, N.D. (2020, December). Promoting optimal sexual and reproductive health with mobile health tools for black women: Combining technology, culture and context. Perspectives on Sex and Reproductive Health, 52(4),205-209. doi: 10.1363/psrh.12170. Epub 2021 Jan 5. PMID: 33399277; PMCID: PMC8536956.
The article discusses the use of mobile health (mHealth) tools to improve sexual and reproductive health among Black women, highlighting the need for culturally and contextually relevant interventions. It addresses health disparities, social determinants, and user engagement challenges. This is relevant to students of culture and health as it underscores the importance of integrating cultural competence in health interventions to address systemic inequities and improve health outcomes.

Jacobs-Basadien, M., Pather, S., & Petersen, F. (2024). The role of culture in the adoption of mobile applications for the self-management of diabetes in low-resourced urban communities. Universal Access in the Information Society, 23, 743–763.