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Cultural Competency

Ability of providers to deliver care that meets the cultural, linguistic, and social needs of diverse patients.

Also: Cultural Humility

Includes self-awareness, knowledge of cultural variation in food practices and health beliefs, and skills for cross-cultural communication. Increasingly framed as 'cultural humility,' emphasizing ongoing learning and power dynamics rather than fixed competence. Essential for RDN practice in diverse communities and for reducing health disparities.

How one textbook covers it

  • Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 16th ed. — Chapter 10

    Includes self-awareness, knowledge of cultural variation in food practices and health beliefs, and skills for cross-cultural communication. Increasingly framed as 'cultural humility,' emphasizing ongoing learning and power dynamics rather than fixed competence. Essential for RDN practice in diverse communities and for reducing health disparities.

Related terms

Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health