Title : Culturally tailored community health fairs: A student-led initiative addressing health disparities in South Asian populations in the Mid-Atlantic region
Abstract:
Background: In the United States, South Asian populations experience disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome compared to other ethnic groups. These disparities are compounded by a lack of culturally informed health education and underrepresentation in clinical research. Addressing these inequities requires community-based, culturally tailored interventions from healthcare institutions to the populations they serve.
Objective: Our initiative aimed to design and implement a replicable model for culturally oriented health fairs serving the South Asian community in the Mid-Atlantic region while simultaneously advancing medical student education in community health and cultural competency.
Methods: The SAMSA Community Health Fair is an initiative developed by medical students in partnership with local physicians and community leaders. Three pilot health fairs were conducted at temples and community sites, incorporating three integrated components:
(1) Laboratory screening for diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, anemia, kidney disease, and visceral adiposity.
(2) Physician-led clinical consultations.
(3) Student-delivered patient education tailored to South Asian-specific biomarkers and culturally relevant interventions including personalized nutrition and exercise guidance.
All services were provided free of charge through volunteer support from physicians, medical students, and community partners. A mixed-methods evaluation framework is being developed incorporating pre and post-participation surveys, case studies, and narrative analyses.
Results: Three pilot fairs reached over 80 community participants, with 20 medical students across all training years contributing to organization and implementation. Students developed culturally focused educational materials such as pediatric health education through interactive board games, healthy eating habit worksheets that incorporated South Asian dietary traditions and reproductive health resources addressing contraception and safe sex practices. Preliminary feedback from temple coordinators, volunteers, community partners, and participants was overwhelmingly positive. Students reported enhanced clinical skills, improved cross-cultural communication, and deeper understanding of South Asian health disparities. Key challenges addressed included health fair promotion strategies and navigating language barriers among participants.
Conclusion: This student-led initiative demonstrates a feasible, scalable model for delivering culturally competent preventive health services while enhancing medical education. By integrating clinical training with community engagement, our program addresses health disparities at the grassroots level while preparing future physicians to deliver equitable, patient-centered care. Future iterations plan to incorporate formal outcome evaluation to assess impact on participant health behaviors and student learning outcomes. Our model offers a framework for replication in other underserved communities facing similar health inequities.
