ABSTRACT
The shifting landscape of populations in the United States challenges investigators to adapt existing research efforts to reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse society (Nápoles-Springer & Stewart, 2006) and to reduce health disparities (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003). The term “health disparity” connotes difference, inequality, and unfairness in the quality and access to healthcare among different population groups (LeCook, McGuire, & Zaslavsky, 2012). This involves not just differences in direct health care, but the operation of healthcare systems, the legal and regulatory climate, discrimination, and other factors (Institute of Medicine, 2003; LeCook et al., 2012). While much of the literature on health disparities focuses on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, there are a variety of other cultural groups that are subject to inequities in healthcare such as age, sexual orientation, disability, and geography (Bushy, 2008). As the demographic trends in the United States change, meeting the needs of diverse cultural groups when conducting research becomes more challenging, and adaptations to traditional design and methodological approaches are warranted. This chapter argues for culturally grounding research efforts as a way to reflect cultural diversity and enhance representativeness of samples; describes relevant definitions and characteristics important to consider in conducting health disparities research; and provides methodological suggestions for culturally grounding research efforts to reduce disparities.
