Cultural Sensitivity and Competence of Health Sciences Students in Turkey Amid Regional Migration Challenges
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: In today’s increasingly multicultural world, healthcare professionals must develop cultural sensitivity and competence during their training. This descriptive correlational study aimed to examine the relationship between cultural sensitivity and competence among health sciences students. Conducted in April–May 2022 with 481 students from a university in Istanbul, data were collected using the Socio-demographic Characteristics Form, Cultural Sensitivity Scale, and Intercultural Effectiveness Scale. Mean scores were 91.58 ± 12.48 for cultural sensitivity and 52.98 ± 7.25 for intercultural competence. A strong positive correlation was found between the two scales (r = 0.732; p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that cultural sensitivity significantly predicted intercultural competence (R = 0.682; R² = 0.465; p < 0.05), explaining 46.5% of the variance. The findings indicate that students had high levels of cultural sensitivity and moderate levels of cultural competence. This highlights the importance of integrating cultural competence training in healthcare education to prepare students for diverse clinical environments.
Source: Research Square
Institutions: Marmara University, Siirt Üniversitesi
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204197938