Table 5 Characteristics of included studies and reported between-groups outcomes

Ard et al. 2008 [53]

African Americans

N = 377

Culturally Adapted (CA): Racially matched participants in group weight-loss program.

Standard (STD): Multicultural participant group.

○^a No significant difference in attendance (p = .09), change in weight (p = .97), fruit/vegetable intake (p = .60), fiber intake (p = .94) or fat intake at follow-up (p = .46).

○ No significant difference in percentage of recipients getting >180 min. physical activity per week at follow-up (p = .18).

Burrow-Sanchez et al. 2015 [77]

Latinos (Adolescents)

N = 70^b

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Standard (STD): Standard CBT.

○ No significant difference in reduction of past-90-day drug use (p = .66).

Burrow-Sanchez & Wrona, 2012 [76]

Latinos (Adolescents)

N = 35

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Standard (STD): Standard CBT.

○ No significant difference in reduction of past-90-day drug use or program retention^†.

● Parents in the CA condition were more satisfied with the program (p = .02).

○ No significant difference in adolescent satisfaction, (p = .09).

Chiang & Sun, 2009 [79]

Asian Americans(Chinese)

N = 128

Culturally Adapted (CA): 8-week culturally tailored walking program.

Standard (STD): Non-tailored program.

○ No significant difference in post-test blood pressure or walking endurance^†.

Fitzgibbon et al. 2005 [50]

African Americans (Obese/over-weight, women)

N = 59

Culturally Adapted (CA): Faith-based 12-week weight-loss program.

Standard (STD): Weight-loss intervention with no active faith component.

○ No significant difference in program retention (>75% attendance)^†.

○ No significant difference in energy expenditure at 12 weeks (p = .08).

○ No significant difference in dietary fat consumption at 12 weeks (p = .91).

○ No significant difference in 12-week weight change: Kg (p = .34), % (p = .41).

○ No significant difference in BMI^c change at 12 weeks (p = .37, d = 0.27).

○ No significant difference in either vigorous physical activity (p = .36) or moderate physical activity (p = .06) at 12 weeks.

Gondolf, 2008 [47]

African Americans (Men)

N = 372

Culturally Adapted (CA1): 16-week racially-matched group counseling program with standard curriculum for domestic-violence offenders.

Culturally Adapted (CA2): Racially-matched counsellor and culturally-targeted program curriculum.

Standard (STD): Multicultural group with Caucasian counsellors and standard curriculum.

○ Program completion was comparable across groups^†.

Halbert et al. 2010 [68]

African Americans (Women)

N = 176

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored genetic counseling.

Standard (STD): Standard genetic counseling.

○ No significant difference in risk perception at follow-up (LRT = 0.07, p = .79).

○ No significant difference in counseling completion (p = .70).

○ Genetic screening uptake was comparable between groups^†.

Havranek et al. 2012 [58]

African Americans

N = 99

Culturally Adapted (CA): A values-affirmation exercise to reduce stereotype-threat and boost self-efficacy of clients during race-discordant client-provider communications.

Standard (STD): Neutral comparison exercise.

● CA group provided and requested significantly more information about medical condition (p = .03), but not therapeutic regimen (p = .56), lifestyle (p = .42), or services (p = .70).

○ No significant difference in trust in provider (p = .55) or patient visit satisfaction (p = .32).

Holt et al. 2009 [71]

African Americans (Men)

N = 49

Culturally Adapted (CA): Spiritually-based “Sunday-school” prostate cancer education session.

Standard (STD): Non-spiritual prostate cancer educational session.

○ Groups were comparable in rating the acceptability/appropriateness of the intervention and in finding it helpful for making informed decisions^†.

● CA group read significantly more of the materials (p < .01).

○ Difference in change in self-efficacy was not significant between groups for screening, decision making regarding prostate specific antigen, or decision making regarding digital rectal examination^†.

○ Groups changed comparably in screening beliefs, knowledge (prostate cancer, screening controversy, relationship between screening and mortality), and barriers to screening decisions^†.

Holt et al., 2012a [66], 2012b [67]

African Americans

N = 285

Culturally Adapted (CA): Spiritually-themed colorectal cancer education session.

Standard (STD): Non-spiritual colorectal cancer education session.

○ No significant difference in CRC^d knowledge at follow-up (p = .65 [2012a]).

● STD group self-reported significantly more FOBT^e within previous 12 months (p = .03 [2012b]).

○ No significant difference in follow-up self-report of lifetime FOBT (p = .55), flexible sigmoidoscopy (p = .52), colonoscopy (p = .55), or barium enemas (p = .32 [2012b]).

○ No significant difference in follow-up perceived CRC screening benefits (p = .16), FOBT benefits (p = .20), FOBT barriers (p = .33), colonoscopy benefits (p = .80), or colonoscopy barriers (p = .54 [2012b]).

Huey & Pan, 2006 [64]; Pan et al. 2011 [65]

Asian Americans

N = 30

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored single-session exposure treatment for phobias.

Standard (STD): Standard one-session exposure treatment for phobias.

○ No significant differences in avoidance/anxiety, catastrophic thinking, general fear, or DSM-IV TR^f phobic symptoms at follow-up (2011)^†.

○ CA group had significantly lower subjective distress ratings at one week, but not at 6 months (2011)^†.

● No significant difference of clinician rating of fear at one week, but the CA group was rated as having significantly lower fear response at six months (2011)^†.

Hwang et al. 2015 [80]

Asian Americans (Chinese)

N = 50

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored CBT for depression.

Standard (STD): Standard CBT.

○ No significant difference in program retention^†.

○ No significant difference in severity of depression by session 12^†.

● Log-linear growth model revealed CA group observed significantly greater decrease in depression scores from baseline to session 12 despite baseline differences (p = .047).

Jandorf et al., 2013a [51], 2013b [52]

African Americans

N = 304^g

Culturally Adapted (CA): Peer-led patient navigation for African Americans referred for colonoscopy.

Standard (STD): Physician-led patient navigation.

○ Groups were similar in rates of colonoscopy screening at follow-up (2013b)^†.

○ No significant difference in trust in provider at follow-up (p = .56 [2013a]).

○ No significant difference in perceived message and source credibility (p = .97 [2013a]).

○ Groups were comparable in satisfaction (p = .07 [2013a])^†.

Johnson et al. 2005 [37]

Multicultural (Children)

N = 3157

Culturally Adapted (CA): 8-session, 50 min. multicultural anti-smoking curriculum.

Standard (STD): Standard anti-smoking curriculum.

○ No significant differences in past-month smoking or lifetime ever-having-smoked by 8th grade^†.

Kalichman et al. 1993 [46]

African Americans (Women)

N = 106

Culturally Adapted (CA1): Culturally tailored content and behavior of presenters in an AIDS/HIV educational video.

Culturally Adapted (CA2): Racial and gender matching of presenter to audience in an HIV/AIDS educational video.

Standard (STD): Standard HIV/AIDS educational video with mixed-gender/race presenters.

● CA1 obtained significantly more HIV tests (p < .01).

● CA1 and CA2 together were significantly more likely to request condoms at post-test, (p < .001).

○ No significant differences in HIV/AIDS information seeking at post-test, condom purchasing, or attempting to use more condoms^†.

○ No significant differences in HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes at post-test^†.

● CA1 presenters were significantly more perceived as expressing concern (p < 0.01) than the other groups combined.

○ No significant differences in ratings of presenter expertise^†.

Kreuter et al. 2003 [61], 2004 [60], 2005 [62]

African Americans (Women)

N = 599^h

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally & behaviorally tailored cancer education magazines to increase mammography/fruit & vegetable intake.

Standard (STD): Magazines tailored on behavioral content alone.

○ CA group was not significantly more likely to have obtained a mammogram by 18 months than the STD group (2005)^†.

○ Groups increased comparably in median fruit/vegetable servings (2005)^†.

○ No significant difference in having received and read materials at 6 months (2004)^†.

La Roche et al. 2006 [38]

African Americans, Latinos

N = 22ⁱ

Culturally Adapted (CA): Allocentric family asthma-management program.

Standard (STD): Standard family asthma-management program.

● CA group reduced the number of emergency department visits in the 12 month follow up period by 50%^†.

● CA group was significantly greater in parental asthma knowledge at 12 months (p < .05).

○ No significant differences in parental skills, child skills, or child knowledge at 12 months^†.

Lee et al. 2013 [54]

Latinos

N = 53^j

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored single-session motivational interviewing to reduce alcohol-induced behavioral problems.

Standard (STD): Standard motivational interviewing.

○ No significant difference in treatment engagement^†.

○ No significant difference in program satisfaction^†.

○ Groups decreased comparably from baseline in past-month heavy drinking. The CA group observed a non-significant, but greater effect (p = .08, η² = 0.10).

● CA group had greater decreases in alcohol-induced problem behavior scores on the DrInC^k Implusivity subscale, (p = .009, η² = 0.14). The other DrInC subscales did not significantly differ between groups^†.

McCabe & Yeh, 2009 [55]; McCabe et al. 2012 [56]

Latinos (Mexican American)

N = 58

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored Parent–child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for families with children who have behavior problems.

Standard (STD): Standard PCIT.

○ CA group showed greater improvement for all health outcomes, but differences were all non-significant between groups: ECBI^l Intensity Subscale (p = .77, d = .09), ECBI Problem Subscale (p = .34, d = .28), CBCL^m (p = .10, d = .36), ECIⁿ ODD^o symptoms (p = .13, d = .07), ECI CD^p symptoms (p = .12, d = .26), ECI ADHD^q symptoms (p = .18, d = .08), PSI^r (p = .53, d = 0.09), and PLOC^s (p = .10, d = .35 [2012])^†.

○ CA group showed significantly greater improvement on the CBCL Internalizing subscale (p = .049), but this was no longer significant after a Bonferroni correction (2012).

○ Groups were comparable in treatment satisfaction and dropout (2009)^†.

○ No significant differences in parent–child positive/negative interaction styles (do and don’t skills [2009])^†.

○ No significant difference in positive parenting behavior scores at post-test (2009)^†.

Mohan et al. 2014 [59]

Latinos

N = 200

Culturally Adapted (CA): TAU^t plus a supplementary simplified and illustrated medication management tool.

Standard (STD): TAU.

● CA group had significantly greater knowledge and understanding of medication regimens at follow-up (p < .001).

○ No significant difference in self-reported medication adherence at follow-up^†.

Newton & Perri, 2004 [45]

African Americans

N = 42^u

Culturally Adapted (CA): 10-session culturally tailored group-exercise program and written materials.

Standard (STD): Standard program and materials.

○ No significant difference in completion of prescribed exercise (p = .39).

● CA group rated group leaders as showing significantly more appreciation (p = .03).

○ No significant difference in self-reported physical activity at post-test^†.

○ Groups increased comparably in maximum oxygen capacity^†.

○ There was no significant difference in self-efficacy at post-test^†.

Nollen et al. 2007 [73]

African Americans

N = 500

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally-tailored anti-smoking video and print guide.

Standard (STD): Standard video and print guide.

● CA group used the guide significantly more (p = .03).

○ No significant difference in video usage (p = .37), perceived benefits of the guide in attempting to quit (p = .07), or of the video in attempting to quit (p = .32).

○ No significant difference in progression along the Stages of Change continuum in terms of readiness to quit by 6 months^†.

○ No significant difference in 7-day abstinence at 6 months (p = .27).

○ No significant difference in change from baseline in the number of cigarettes smoked per day at 6 months (p = .61) or self-reported nicotine patch use (p = .75).

Orleans et al. 1998 [74]

African Americans

N = 1422

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally targeted stop-smoking counseling session and written materials.

Standard (STD): Standard counseling and materials.

○ No significant difference in self-reported reading of material or proportion of recipients who found the guide helpful at 6 months^†.

● STD group rated the guide as significantly more suitable for other family members at 6 months (p = .01).

● CA group significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked (p = .002), was more likely to set a quit date (p = .001), and was more likely to switch to a lower-nicotine brand of cigarettes by 6 months (p = .001).

● CA group made significantly more quit attempts (p = .007), and used more pre-quitting strategies (p = .05) by 6 months.

○ No significant difference in self-reported week-long abstinence, progression along the Stages of Change continuum, or in smoking abstinence by 6 months^†.

● CA group had a higher quit rate (p = .034), and were more advanced along the Stages of Change continuum (p = .035) at 12 months.

○ No significant difference in nicotine patch or gum use, or median number of quit attempts at 12 months^†.

Resnicow et al. 2009 [63]

African Americans

N = 560

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored fruit & vegetable promotional materials.

Standard (STD): Standard materials.

○ No significant difference in mean daily fruit/vegetable intake by 3 months (p = .13).

○ Groups were comparable in self-reported reading of most/all newsletters at 3 months^†.

Sanders Thompson et al. 2010 [70]

African Americans

N = 771

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored colorectal cancer risk-reduction materials.

Standard (STD): Standard materials.

○ No significant difference in affect, engagement, ease of understanding, cognitive processing, or intent to screen at 22 weeks^†.

Shoptaw et al. 2005 [78]

Gay/Bisexuals (Men)

N = 80^v

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored cognitive behavioral therapy.

Standard (STD): Standard cognitive behavioral therapy.

○ No significant difference in program retention^†.

○ CA group significantly reduced self-reported unsafe receptive anal intercourse during first 4 weeks of treatment. Differences between conditions were non-significant at 12 months^†.

● CA group had significantly higher Treatment Effectiveness Scores for meth abstinence at end of treatment (p < .05).

○ No significant difference in percent of negative urine samples or reported days of past-month meth use^†.

Skaer et al. 1996 [57]

Latinas (Low-income, Women)

N = 80

Culturally Adapted (CA): Provision of voucher to redeem for one free mammogram.

Standard (STD): No voucher provided.

● CA group was 47 times more likely to obtain a mammogram at follow-up, using logistic regression analysis (p = .0001).

Unger et al. 2013 [72]

Latinos

N = 139

Culturally Adapted (CA): Illustrated fotonovela to increase depression knowledge and reduce stigma.

Standard (STD): Standard depression pamphlet.

● CA group was significantly lower in antidepressant stigma (p < .05) and mental health care stigma (p = <.05) at post-test^w.

● CA group was significantly higher in depression knowledge at post-test (p < .05).

○ No significant differences in self-efficacy to identify depression or willingness to seek help (p > .05) at post-test.

Wang et al. 2012a [48]; 2012b [49]

Asian Americans (Chinese)

N = 442^x

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally tailored, mailed mammography promotional video.

Standard (STD): Standard mailed mammography promotional video.

○ Groups were comparable in increases in mammography from baseline (2012b)^†.

○ No significant differences in intent to obtain mammogram at post-test (2012a)^†.

○ No significant difference in cultural views of healthcare, knowledge, perceived risk, perceived benefits, or perceived barriers at post-test (2012a)^†.

Webb, 2009 [75]

African Americans

N = 261

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally targeted written materials for smoking cessation.

Standard (STD): Standard materials.

● CA material was significantly more likely to capture attention, provide encouragement, and help in quitting^†.

● STD material was seen as significantly more credible (p < .05).

○ No significant difference in booklet utilization (p = .09).

● CA group was significantly more satisfied with content (p = .03).

● STD group was 1.97 (95% CI [1.09, 3.55]) times more likely to make a quit attempt by follow-up (p = .03).

● STD group scored significantly higher on the Contemplation Ladder measure at follow-up (p = .01).

○ No significant difference in point prevalent abstinence or smoking reduction^†.

Webb et al. 2010 [69]

African Americans

N = 243

Culturally Adapted (CA): Culturally targeted written materials for smoking cessation and exercise.

Standard (STD): Standard smoking and exercise materials.

● CA group was significantly higher in perception of personal risks of smoking at post-test (p = .02, η² = 0.02).

● CA group was significantly higher in perception of culturally-specific risks of smoking at post-test (p = .04, η² = 0.02).

● CA group was significantly higher in intentions to quit at post-test (p = .04, η² = 0.02).

○ No significant difference in Contemplation Ladder scores at post-test^†.

○ No significant difference in smoking knowledge at post-test^†.