ABSTRACT
Health disparities are defined as differences in health conditions, the prevalence of diseases, and health outcomes that are likely to be present more commonly among vulnerable and underserved populations and groups. Health disparities have a significant impact on individuals from these populations in terms of their ability to thrive and achieve their full social and economic potential. In this context, health communication, defined as the study and use of various communication strategies in the context of health, plays an important role in allowing scholars and health professionals to identify the root causes of these disparities, increase public engagement with the issues, and alleviate these disparities by educating people and bringing about behavioral and social changes among different stakeholders. One important strategy for effectively communicating behavioral change strategies is by tailoring these messages so that they are culturally sensitive, relevant, and appropriate for the specific groups of people in which these disparities are highly prevalent. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of culturally relevant health communication strategies and identify some of the factors that are considered as important when developing such strategies. Also, we briefly present two case studies that highlight a culture-centered approach to health communication, and their potential ability to alleviate health disparities in various vulnerable and underserved populations.
