Spicing Up Healthcare: Enhancing Cultural Inclusivity in Patient Meals

Academic Mentor | Minakshi (Mina) Raj
Community Partner | ClarkLindsey Village

Project Description
The dietary preferences of culturally diverse patients are often excluded in U.S. healthcare settings, even though culturally minoritized groups face an amplified risk of diet-related health conditions. This systemic exclusion can lead to downstream consequences such as frailty, falls, unintentional weight loss, mental distress, and a reduced sense of belonging. Modifying menus in healthcare settings to reflect diverse culinary traditions is challenging due to a lack of awareness and knowledge of diverse cuisines among staff. However, spices and herbs are a low-cost, accessible way to enhance and diversify the flavor of food in healthcare settings.

In 2023, the Aging, Caregiving, and Technology (ACT) Lab conducted a nationwide survey with clinicians, chefs, and food service personnel to evaluate their awareness, knowledge, and use of culturally diverse spices and herbs. This project builds on that survey to collaborate with ClarkLindsey Village to conduct an educational workshop with health professionals across Illinois. The workshop aims to increase awareness, knowledge, and use of culturally diverse spices and herbs in healthcare settings. Additionally, this project supports ClarkLindsey Village in organizing an inaugural research symposium to promote lifelong learning among its residents.

Role of the Community-Academic Scholar
The scholar will assist with:

• Drafting and refining workshop agendas
• Developing pre- and post-workshop surveys to evaluate changes in knowledge and self-efficacy among workshop attendees
• Collaborating regularly with ClarkLindsey Village and Chef Len King from the McCormick Science Institute

The scholar will:

• Collect attendee information through RSVPs
• Support the development of the inaugural research symposium that ClarkLindsey Village will hold in the fall
• Complete CITI training
• Attend lab meetings to engage with the broader research team
• Work directly with the academic mentor and graduate students, meeting weekly with the mentor and as needed with graduate students for support