Cultural Variance Model

The cultural variance model (or cultural variance framework) was proposed by two public health researchers, Rachel Davis and Ken Resnicow, in recognition of the powerful influence of culture on communication and health behaviors, as well as the variability of culture across individuals. [Page 283]The framework was created to conceptually guide health communication researchers and practitioners in designing culturally tailored materials. Culturally tailored materials use personalized information about recipients to address individual-level differences in culturally associated values, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. Tailoring is believed to increase recipients' attentiveness to and processing of, or thinking about, health messages. Thus, to the extent that cultural tailoring encourages recipients to notice and think about health messages, as well as to relate the content of such messages to their personal ...