Using Culturally Responsive Evaluation to Reduce Health Disparities

• In Event: 2481 - Sociology in Practice Settings Symposium Roundtable Session
  In Informal Discussion Roundtable: Table 06. Evaluation as Practice

Abstract

Practice-setting problem/challenge to be addressed:
This session addresses evaluating programs from a culturally responsive perspective to improve outcomes for all.

Sociologists working in the applied field of program evaluation have the opportunity to improve the effectiveness of programming in a manner that can have wide societal benefits. Specifically, sociologists can identify important differences in programming impacts by utilizing a culturally responsive evaluation approach which can ultimately reduce health disparities. We used a culturally responsive evaluation to examine differences in outcomes among racial and ethnic groups using data from two youth educational programs addressing substance abuse prevention and obesity prevention. Pretest data showed racial/ethnic disparities existed prior to beginning programming, with the gap widening after programming. Significant program impacts were only observed for non-Hispanic white participants, leaving minority and Hispanic participants left behind. As a result of these findings, we provided recommendations to program implementers to consider program adaptations or to implement a different culturally relevant intervention to target the populations not benefiting from the current programming. In addition, training was provided to program implementers to explain the value of cultural adaptation. In this presentation, we will discuss how taking a culturally responsive evaluation approach can help to adapt programming decisions to be more effectively implemented across diverse communities, with ultimately can reduce health disparities instead of increasing them.

Authors

• Jennifer Rutt, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Mindy Anderson-Knott, Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium (SBSRC)

• Trish Wonch Hill, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Cole Boyle, UNL Methodology & Evaluation Research Core Facility

• Changsoo Song, University of Nebraska-Lincoln