Lessons in cultural competence: Adapting research methodology for Latino participants

Recent publications have suggested that research with diverse ethnic groups requires a reexamination of the methods and measures that have been developed on European-American samples. This is a methodological paper; sharing the lessons learned in the field by one research team. It reports on a study of persons with type 2 diabetes and their partners that included both Latino and European-American participants. Involvement Of a multiethnic research team, the willingness to be flexible, and a healthy skepticism about our current methods are among the suggestions that emerge. Afore specifically, the article addresses such topics as the establishment of trust in the participants, language and meaning, the practical implications of cultural values, and the impact of social class on procedures. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.