Johnson Claire D, Green Bart N
National University of Health Sciences.
J Chiropr Educ. 2012 Spring;26(1):1-13. doi: 10.7899/1042-5055-26.1.1.
As the diversity of the United States (US) population continues to change, concerns about minority health and health disparities grow. Health professions must evolve to meet the needs of the population. The purpose of this editorial is to review current trends in the diversity of chiropractic students, faculty, and practitioners in the United States. This editorial was informed by a search of the literature, to include PubMed, using the terms chiropractic and diversity, minority, and cultural competency. Demographic information for the chiropractic profession was obtained from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and The Chronicle of Higher Education. These data were compared to diversity data for medical doctors and the national and state populations from the American Association of Medical Colleges and the US Census, respectively. Surprisingly little has been published in the peer-reviewed literature on the topic of diversity in the chiropractic profession. For the variables available (sex and race), the data show that proportions in the US chiropractic profession do not match the population. State comparisons to associated chiropractic colleges show similar relationships. No reliable data were found on other diversity characteristics, such as gender identity, religion, and socioeconomic status. The chiropractic profession in the United States currently does not represent the national population with regard to sex and race. Leaders in the profession should develop a strategy to better meet the changing demographics of the US population. More attention to recruiting and retaining students, such as underrepresented minorities and women, and establishing improved cultural competency is needed.
随着美国人口多样性持续变化，对少数族裔健康及健康差距的担忧与日俱增。卫生专业必须不断发展以满足民众需求。本社论的目的是回顾美国整脊学生、教师和从业者多样性的当前趋势。本社论参考了通过在PubMed等数据库中检索文献得出的信息，检索词为“整脊疗法”以及“多样性”“少数族裔”和“文化能力”。整脊疗法专业的人口统计信息来自美国国家整脊疗法考试委员会和《高等教育纪事报》。这些数据分别与美国医学院协会提供的医生多样性数据以及美国人口普查提供的全国和各州人口数据进行了比较。令人惊讶的是，同行评议文献中关于整脊疗法专业多样性这一主题的发表内容极少。就现有的变量（性别和种族）而言，数据表明美国整脊疗法专业的比例与总体人口不匹配。与相关整脊疗法学院的州级比较显示出类似关系。未找到关于其他多样性特征（如性别认同、宗教和社会经济地位）的可靠数据。美国的整脊疗法专业目前在性别和种族方面无法代表全国人口。该专业的领导者应制定一项战略，以更好地满足美国人口不断变化的人口结构需求。需要更加关注招收和留住学生，比如代表性不足的少数族裔和女性，并建立更高的文化能力。
