Creating Change > Social Environment Level: Culture >

Culture and Physical Activity: An Ecological Approach

• The Individual
• The Social Environment
• The Physical Environment
• Policies and Regulations
  

Culture and Physical Activity: The Individual

In A Cultural Competence Guide for Primary Health Care Professionals in Nova Scotia (2005), we learn that people often make two assumptions when interacting with people from another culture:

• People who look or sound the same ARE the same
• People who look or sound like us ARE like us

But these assumptions are rarely true. Every individual is unique. We need to pay attention to how we think or feel about other people and how these beliefs will influence our actions towards them. If we are aware of our biases—which are a part of our own cultural makeup—we can reduce the barriers that keep us from understanding each other. Remember: Cultural differences might be visible or invisible. They might be differences that you can see or hear, or they may not be detectable at all.

Strategies

You can encourage a culturally inclusive environment on an individual level by:

• Examining your own values, beliefs, behaviours, and assumptions
• Participating in activities that help to reframe your thinking
  • Cultural events such as dances or gatherings
  • Diversity-training workshops
• Advocating for your cultural group and others groups as well. Cultural communities need leaders.
• Becoming familiar with the traditions and customs of cultural groups in your community

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Culture and Physical Activity: The Social Environment

Strategies

You can encourage a culturally inclusive social environment by:

• Using a holistic approach to events, classes, and activities. Programming should focus on more than physical and weight-loss benefits.
• Being willing to adapt activities to accommodate the clothing requirements of various cultures
• Developing group activities and events that centre on family, religious groups, and particular communities (Van Duyn et. al., 2007)
• Becoming familiar with the holidays and festivals of different cultural groups. Organize appropriate activities and events to coincide with these celebrations.
• Consulting with cultural leaders in the community regarding programs, events, and activities. Cultural leaders can also help promote programs within the cultural community you are trying to reach.
• Providing translators and translated material
• Offering programs that focuses on traditional activities or address cultural needs
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Sports
• Partnering with other organizations and cultural groups
• Offering physical activity classes in conjunction with organizations that offer English language classes
• Providing programs that are appropriate for a variety of physical activity levels and experience

Culturally appropriate programs and messages can be very beneficial. However, be cautious about further segmentation of cultural groups. According to Van Dyun et al., “Cultural groups are not homogenous and individuals vary in literacy levels, health status, psychological issues (e.g., self-esteem, shame, depression), financial status and strength of cultural values” (2007).

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Culture and Physical Activity: The Physical Environment

Strategies

You can encourage a culturally inclusive physical environment by:

• Offering programs and opportunities in the community. Make use of local community centres (Belza et al., 2004).
• Adapting your facility to accommodate different cultural needs
  • Curtains on windows
  • Women-only hours

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Culture and Physical Activity: Policies and Regulations

Strategies

A culturally inclusive environment can be fostered by developing pertinent policies and regulations. You can contribute at this level by:

• Ensuring supports for low-income participants are in place
• Ensuring your organization supports cultural diversity. This may include developing an equal opportunity hiring policy and conducting a cultural assessment of your organization. (See Cultural Competency Self-Assessment resource below.)
• Being proactive in addressing cultural issues. Look for ways to enhance cultural awareness in your organization.
• Streamlining paperwork to minimize the number of forms that need to be completed and to ensure that forms are clear and direct.

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Culture and Physical Activity: Useful Links

• A Cultural Competence Guide for Primary Health Care Professionals in Nova Scotia
• Alone in Canada: 21 Ways to Make It Better
• Bringing the Community Together with Multicultural Activities
• Cultural Competency: A Self-Assessment Guide for Human Service Organizations
• Cultural Diversity: Including Everyone in Physical Activity
  
• Diversity in Practice: Becoming Culturally Competent
• Multicultural Resources
• Reframing Physical Activity Programs for Aboriginal Communities
  
• The Socio-cultural and Biological Reasons for the Weight of Cree Children
  
• Welcoming Newcomers to Alberta
  

References

Belza, B., Walwick, J., Shiu-Thorton, S., Schwartz, S., Taylor, M. & LoGerfo, J. (2004). Older adult perspective on physical activity and exercise: Voices from multiple culutres. Preventing Chronic Disease, 1(4), 1–12.

Caperchione, C. M., Kolt, G. S. & Mummery, W. K. (2009). Physical activity in culturally and linguistically diverse migrant groups to western society: A review of barriers, enablers and experiences. Sports Medicine, 39(3), 167–177.

Government of Nova Scotia. (2005). A cultural competence guide for primary health care professionals in Nova Scotia. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from http://healthteamnovascotia.ca/cultural_competence/
Cultural_Competence_ guide_for_Primary_Health_Care_Professionals.pdf

Hoebeke, R. (2008). Low-income women’s perceived barriers to physical activity: focus group results. Applied Nursing Research, 21, 60–65.

Mansfield, B. (2009). Unequal opportunities, unequal outcomes: Physical activity beliefs and behaviours in low-socioeconomic status mothers in Canada. Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS).

Thompson, J. L., Allen, P., Cunningham-Sabo, L., Yazzie, D. A., Curtis, M. & Davis, S. M. (2002). Environmental, policy and cultural factors related to physical activity in sedentary American Indian women. Women and Health, 36(2), 57–72.

Van Duyn, M. S., McCrae, T., Wingrove, B. K., Hendersen, K. M., Boyd, J. K., Kagawa-Signer, M., Ramirez, A. G., Scarinci-Searles, I., Wolff, L. S., Penalosa, T. L. & Maibach, E. E. (2007). Adapting evidence-based strategies to increase physical activity among African Americans, Hispanics, Hmong and Native Hawaiians: A social marketing approach. Preventing Chronic Disease, 4(4), 1–11.