A roadmap for authentic community/academic engagement for developing effective community preterm birth education

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities Research
• Community-Based Participatory Research

Background:

• Perinatal interventions alone are insufficient to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality.
• Existing health and behavioral interventions often fail due to poor adherence in home and community settings.
• Research translation without community involvement leads to irrelevant and culturally insensitive interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a multilevel risk communication strategy for preterm birth awareness.
• To provide insight into the Community-Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) model and its application.
• To address the limitations of traditional interventions in reducing racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Community-Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) process.
• Developed a multilevel, risk communications strategy.
• Focused on promoting awareness about preterm birth in a local community.

Main Results:

• The CPPR process facilitated the development of a relevant and culturally sensitive risk communication strategy.
• The strategy aimed to improve awareness of preterm birth within the African American community.
• This approach offers a roadmap for community-involved research in public health.

Conclusions:

• Community-partnered participatory research is crucial for effective perinatal health strategies.
• Multilevel risk communication, developed with community input, can promote awareness of critical health issues like preterm birth.
• Addressing racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality requires community-centered, evidence-based approaches.