Understanding the Influences on Undergraduate Athletic Training Students' Perceived Cultural Competence

Abstract

There is a distinct relationship between the diversity of healthcare providers and the general population in regards to the quality of healthcare provided. Many have suggested that to increase the quality of healthcare provided to all patients, the optimal goal should be to increase the diversity of the practitioner population to match the general population. In addition to increasing diversity, cultural competence, or the ability to provide culturally appropriate care to individuals from different race/ethnicities and cultures, has become a point of emphasis to educate all practitioners, minority or not, to provide quality healthcare to all patients. This study focused on a small sector of healthcare, athletic training, and sought to determine athletic training students' level of cultural competence and what individual, programmatic, and institutional factors influenced this level of cultural competence. This study utilized three sources to collect data on cultural competence and the different areas of characteristics. A student survey determined the level of cultural competence, individual characteristics, and information on academic and institutional climate. A program director survey was utilized for programmatic characteristics and IPEDS data was utilized for institutional characteristics. Statistical analyses included; means and standard deviations for the demographic data, a correlation analysis to determine relationships between variables, and a block-wise regression to determine the characteristics that influence a student's level of cultural competence. Four hundred and twenty two students and 62 programs directors from 62 CAATE accredited athletic training education programs participated in the study. Athletic training students were found to be culturally aware but not culturally competent or culturally proficient. They identified the importance of race/ethnicity and the implications of culture in healthcare, but lacked the ability to take action and provide culturally competent care. Five characteristics were found to predict a student's level of cultural competence. Individually, only a student's race ethnicity influenced cultural competence, with white students having a lower level of cultural competence. No programmatic variables were found to be significant predictors. Only one academic climate variable, working with a highly diverse population, was found to have a significant influence on cultural competence. Students who perceived that they had worked with a highly diversified population were more likely to have higher levels of cultural competence. Two institutional characteristics, control and Carnegie classification, were linked to cultural competence. Students who attended private institutions were more likely to have higher levels of cultural competence than those attending public institutions. In addition, students who attended doctoral institutions were more likely to have higher levels of cultural competence than those attending masters or bachelors institutions. The final characteristic from the institutional climate block, student perception that the institution values diversity, was also found to be a positive influence on cultural competence. In conclusion, athletic training students are not culturally competent and academic programs should utilize the five different areas of influence to best prepare students to work with a diverse patient population.