New Study Promotes Cultural Relevancy as Key to Successful Youth Health Programs

Strieter, L., Meyer, D., & Kim, S. (2025). Knowing your audience: A narrative review of culturally tailored health programs for youth. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2025.02.002

Introduction

While conventional health education often promotes generic lifestyle behaviors, sustainable change requires culturally tailored interventions that align with youths’ lived experiences. Strieter and colleagues (2025) assert that concepts of “health” are deeply rooted in cultural values, practices, and identities, particularly for youth developing their world views. They define “healthy” broadly, encompassing physical and mental wellness. Health education, they argue, must reflect the cultural contexts of its target populations to resonate and produce lasting behavioral change.

Methods

Using a narrative review, the authors integrate findings from diverse studies on youth health interventions that focus on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and substance use prevention. The inclusion criteria emphasized school-based and community-based programs with culturally responsive components. Educational theories like constructivism, social learning, experiential learning, and differentiated instruction frame the analysis, highlighting the psychological mechanisms that make tailoring so essential.

Results

Common success factors for culturally-tailored youth health initiatives included location accessibility, culturally resonant language, parental engagement, and mentorship elements. Notably, tailored interventions frequently outperformed standardized models on behavior change metrics such as physical activity, BMI reduction, and emotional regulation. Several programs stand out for their cultural relevance and impact. For example, Texas Sprouts improved vegetable consumption by integrating gardening and cooking into school curricula. The B’More Healthy for Kids initiative utilized youth mentors in Baltimore to enhance nutrition education in underserved communities. Programs like COPE, PATHS, and RULER addressed mental health using SEL frameworks aligned with participants’ cultural and emotional needs.

Discussion

The authors conclude that culturally tailored health programs foster trust, engagement, and relevance, which are key precursors to behavior change. Despite their promise, such programs require upfront investment in needs assessments and community partnerships. The authors also note implementation challenges, such as resource availability, fidelity of delivery, and stakeholder buy-in. Nonetheless, the evidence supports a shift toward customization over universality in youth wellness initiatives.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Mentorship is a recurring theme throughout the review. When mentors evidence sensitivity to the cultural backgrounds of their mentees or share their lived experiences, programs see stronger adherence and internalization of health behaviors. Peer-mentoring models that combine social modeling with empowerment. Mentorship programs should integrate cultural tailoring by recruiting diverse mentors, training them in culturally responsive approaches, and embedding health education in relatable, community-based contexts.

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