Assessment of Cultural Competence in MSAT Programs Across the United States

ABSTRACT CONTEXT: Cultural competence has been defined as the process in which clinicians investigate and incorporate the cultural needs of patients during all facets of care. Although professional athletic training students (ATSs) are required to practice cultural competency, foster cultural humility, and demonstrate respect in client/patient care according to accreditation standards, cultural competence levels of current professional ATSs remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine current cultural competence levels of professional master’s ATSs across the United States. DESIGN: mixed-methods METHODS: We sent an email to program directors of every accredited professional master’s athletic training program in the United States and asked them to forward it to every student enrolled in the programs they lead. Students currently enrolled in accredited professional master’s athletic training programs within the United States (n=72, 46 female, 16 males, 31 first year students, 33 second year students, 54 identified as white, 23 identified as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) volunteered to participate by completing the questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOMES: We calculated descriptive statistics on the composite scores for Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity (range=0-44), Cultural Competence Behaviors (range=0-64), and an overall composite score (range=0-104) from responses to the CCA. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in cultural competence between first and second year students (U=467.50, p= .55), racial identities (U=472.00, p=.71), gender identities (U=248.50, p=.05), or prior cultural competence training (U=564.00 p=.69). Four themes emerged from the qualitative data. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, findings suggest ATSs are culturally competent, but not culturally proficient, regardless of academic year in their professional program, racial identity, gender identity, or whether or not they had previously completed cultural competence training which is consistent with prior research. KEY WORDS: empathy, mixed methods, patients WORD COUNT: