Developing culturally responsive health promotion: Insights from cultural experts
Open accessAbstract
Summary: Culturally-responsive health promotion initiatives are important to the creation of health equity for Indigenous and minority populations and these initiatives are complex and time-intensive to establish. The knowledge and resources of cultural experts are often pivotal in programs, yet there is minimal research on effective collaborations. The KāHOLO Project demonstrated strong success in the management of uncontrolled hypertension in the high-risk Indigenous population through a 6-month program based on the Hawaiian cultural dance of hula. This program was developed utilizing a community-based participatory research approach and implemented by cultural experts. To better understand the effectiveness of the research endeavor and program, six experienced hula experts and educators who delivered the community-based program were interviewed. As skilled and trusted cultural experts they set a safe supportive learning environment that promoted health and cultural goals. They articulated it was important that the program maintained cultural priorities and integrity. Through the methodical establishment of mutual respect, cooperation on research protocols and requirements was achieved. The development of cultural experts as health allies offers important inroads to the inclusion of minority and Indigenous cultures in health programming.
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Culturally responsive health promotion approaches that incorporate traditional practices, peer support, and community engagement may strengthen resilience and psychological well-being among Native American college students.
“Culturally responsive health promotion approaches that incorporate traditional practices, peer support, and community engagement may therefore strengthen resilience and psychological well-being among Native American college students [37,38,48].”
From Relationships Between Physical Activity, Sleep, Psychological Well-Being, and Academic Performance Among Native American College Students (2026) · cites this paper as [48]
The Findings and Discussion describe a Native Hawaiian hula-based health program that incorporated cultural practice, community involvement, and supportive relationships among participants. The paper does not study Native American college students or establish that such approaches strengthen resilience and psychological well-being in that population; its reported program concerns hypertension management. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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Sanyaolu, O., Reeves-Doyle, B., Olaniyan, A. C., Max, T., Asala, A., & Osime, E. (2026) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph23040491
- Authors
- Look, M. A., Maskarinec, G. G., de Silva, M., Werner, K., Mabellos, T., Palakiko, D.-M., Haumea, S. L., Gonsalves, J., Seabury, A. A., Vegas, J. K., Solatorio, C., & Kaholokula, J. K.
- Affiliations
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Hālau Mōhala ʻIlima , Kāohao, HI , USA
- Mauli Ola , Hilo, HI , USA
- Hui No ke Ola Pono, Native Hawaiian Health Care System , Waikuku, HI , USA
- I Ola Lāhui , Honolulu, HI , USA
- Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (US)
- Kula no nā Poʻe Hawaiʻi , Honolulu, HI , USA
- Department of Native Hawaiian Health, University of Hawaiʻi, John A. Burns School of Medicine , Honolulu, HI , USA
- Corresponding author
- Look, Mele A
- Venue
- Health Promotion International
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2023-04-01
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 2
- ISSN
- 0957-4824 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2245
- PMC
- PMC10108309
- OpenAlex
- W4366083150
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 7.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Health Promotion International (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Cultural Competency in Health Care
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Community Health and Development
- Keywords
- Indigenous health, minority health, hula, uncontrolled hypertension, community-based participatory research, health equity, cultural integrity, Hawaiian culture, program evaluation
- MeSH terms
- Indigenous Peoples, Hawaii, Health Promotion, Humans, Minority Groups, Problem Solving, Cultural Competency
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