Cultural Factors in Prevention

This chapter reviews literature on the construct of cultural factors as examined among major ethnocultural groups in the United States. Cultural factors capture real-world experiences occurring among people from a given ethnocultural community. Cultural factors such as acculturation, family traditionalism, familismo (familism), and ethnic pride have specific meaning and significance within those communities. We describe how the operationalization and measurement of cultural factors facilitate their inclusion as cultural variables within multivariate model analyses that examine their influences as potential risk or protective factors affecting targeted health-related outcomes. We argue in favor of using mixed methods research methodologies for a deep-structure understanding of complex cultural factors that can enhance an evidence-based preventive intervention (EBPI). Cultural factors when introduced as potential EBPI core components may increase the intervention’s cultural relevance and effectiveness. We also argue that future EBPIs should be designed with greater external validity to make them more “scale-up ready” for effective implementation and dissemination within diverse communities, also fostering greater EBPI adoption and acceptability. This can also enhance an EBPI’s reach for preventing disease outcomes and for greater impact in promoting health and well-being while contributing to health equity and a reduction of select health disparities.