The Effect of Cultural Marginality Theory-Based Education on Cross-Cultural Adaptability and Psychological Well-Being of Foreign Nursing Students: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the effect of Cultural Marginality Theory-based Education on cross-cultural adaptability and psychological well-being of foreign nursing students. Background: The Cultural Marginality Theory, which focuses on understanding the experiences of individuals caught between two cultures, is particularly relevant in nursing education and address the challenges faced by foreign nursing students. Design: Randomized clinical trial with two arms was conducted with a pre-test and post-test. Method: The study was completed by 66 foreign students who are enrolled in the 1st year of the nursing department of the two universities: experimental (n = 33) and control (n = 33). The Cultural Marginality Theory-based Education was presented to the experimental group. The data were collected with Personal Information Form, Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory and Psychological Well-Being Scale. Instruments were given to both groups before (pre-test) and after the experiment (post-test). The Chi-square test and Independent Sample t test was used for intra- and inter-group were used to analyze the data. Results: At post-test, experimental group showed significant improvements in cultural adaptation, perceptual acuity and personal autonomy sub-dimensions of cultural adaptation (p < 0.05) compared with the control group. In addition, at post-test, experimental group showed significant improvements in psychological well-being scores (p < 0.05) compared with the control group. Conclusions: The Cultural Marginality Theory-based Education effectively increased the foreign nursing students' cultural adaptation. Nurse educators could integrate this theory into their education programs to improve the cultural adaptation levels of foreign nursing students and increase their ability to provide culturally competent care. This study was presented as a poster presentation at the 4th International 5th National Public Health Nursing Congress (16-18 April 2025).