Exploring the Effect a Speaker Series has on Students Level of Multicultural Sensitivity and Cultural Competence Awareness

Purpose: The population of the United States continues to become more diverse each day, and this changing demographic impacts our healthcare system, demanding that healthcare providers begin to provide culturally competent services. In order to have culturally competent practitioners, it would be prudent to incorporate the concepts of cultural competence effectively into respective health professions curricula. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a three-part, semester-long cultural competency speaker series on students’ level of multicultural sensitivity and their attitudes toward cultural competence and its effect on healthcare. Methods: A convenience sample of 118 athletic training and nutrition undergraduate students participated in this study through their attendance at three 90-minute lectures over the course of the fall 2012 semester. A pre/post questionnaire study design was utilized. Two valid and reliable surveys, the Multicultural Sensitivity Scale (MSS) and the Health Beliefs Attitudes Survey (HBAS) were adapted from the literature. The MSS was used to measure students’ level of multicultural sensitivity and the HBAS was used to assess their attitudes on how cultural competence affects health care quality. Each survey was completed by subjects prior to and at the conclusion of the speaker series. Results: There was a significant difference between the mean total score of the HBAS prior to and after the speaker series (t = 4.01;