For several decades, migration has enriched the cultural diversity of the Belgian population. As a result, reflections on specific care practices have become essential because providing care for children and elderly adults presents challenges related to this cultural diversity. An analysis of the scientific literature indicates that individuals from various cultural backgrounds often receive inadequate care and face barriers in accessing healthcare services (Daure & Reveyrand-Coulon, 2019; Mouchenik & Moro, 2021). Furthermore, there is a notable lack of information regarding how healthcare professionals in Belgium are trained during their studies to integrate cultural specificities into their practice (Serneels et al., 2017).

That is why we conducted two concurrent researches that aim to explore how health professionals consider, or sometimes overlook, the cultural specificities of patients from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in their practices in Belgium. Our sample consists of health professionals working with two distinct groups: children (N=111) and elderly individuals (N=139). Participants completed online surveys, and we analyzed the results collectively, culminating in a final sample size of 250 participants. This communication will essentially focus on the training received by these professionals.

Our findings indicate that a significant number of participants (177 out of 250, or 70.8%) think they did not receive adequate training during their studies to address the cultural diversity of their patients. As a result, 176 participants (70.4%) underline their need for further training. To better understand their patients' cultural specificities, professionals also plead for a forum where it will be possible to exchange with colleagues who share similar experiences, particularly with children (62 out of 111, or 55.86%). They also seek to acquire more adapted resources to assist in diagnosing elderly adults (45 out of 139, or 32.37%). Additionally, there is a demand for more intensive training focused on cultural diversity in general (80 out of 250, or 32%). In conclusion, our research shows that healthcare professionals in Belgium are eager to enhance their practices because they know the gaps in their initial training, even if 162 (64.8%) reported satisfaction with their current practices despite everything.

Keywords: Cultural diversity, health professionals training, children, elderly adults.