Cultural and linguistic competence in chiropractic university students: Insights from a cross-sectional study

Cultural and linguistic competence in health care is a universal necessity, compelling educational institutions to prepare graduates for diverse, multicultural environments. This study aimed to explore chiropractic students' perceptions of cultural and linguistic competency at a South African university.

A cross-sectional anonymous survey was distributed to bachelor of health sciences and master of health sciences chiropractic students at the University of Johannesburg from February 27, 2023, to March 24, 2023. The survey consisted of 33 Likert-scale questions related to 3 subscales: cultural competence, role of language, and student responsiveness. A digital presentation explaining cultural competency was provided to all potential participants. Data were analyzed using frequencies, descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and reliability testing.

The response rate was 43.56% (n = 105) with participants predominantly aged 18-23 years (74.3%, n = 78), female (76.2%, n = 80), White (70.5%, n = 74), and identifying as Christian (63.8%, n = 67); 68.6% (n = 72) were bilingual. Students showed high agreement on the importance of cultural and linguistic competence in health care but expressed a need for additional training in these areas. An interesting association was found between the role of language and the year of study (p = .043) with junior students perceiving higher linguistic competency. The survey demonstrated acceptable reliability (α = 0.877).

Student respondents expressed the importance of cultural competence and language proficiency and further demonstrated a clear need for further training to enhance their ability to serve diverse cultural and linguistic groups. The value of respecting patients' cultural backgrounds in clinical settings was aligned with global trends.