Forget Translations — Rewrite in the Requested Language

After working with many minority communities in California, I am very prejudiced against translating nutrition education materials designed for the mainstream population into the languages of minority populations. It can be insulting when there is no attempt to insure the content is culturally appropriate and relevant. For example, the staple foods featured should be the staple foods of the target population. They should be shown in the form in which these foods are purchased and eaten. The GEM by Baumhofer et al is a good example of developing food models appropriate to the culture. The cooking equipment should be readily available in most households, as should the spices and herbs featured in recipes. Any pictures or drawings of families should look like the audience, and the settings should look familiar rather than intimidating.
Source: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior - Category: Nutrition Authors: Tags: From SNEB Source Type: research