Facilitating Community Participants' Research Engagement: Community Members' Perceptions of Community-based Research

Area of Science:

• Community-based participatory research
• Health equity
• Indigenous research methodologies

Background:

• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves community members in all aspects of the research process.
• Effective CBPR requires understanding and addressing community members' perspectives and expectations when engaging with academic researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe community participants' perspectives on engaging in community-based participatory research (CBPR).
• To develop a model illustrating community participants' perceptions of interactions with academic researchers.

Main Methods:

• Focus group interviews were conducted with a diverse group of Native Hawaiian community-dwelling participants.
• Open-ended and semi-structured interview questions explored community members' perceptions of CBPR.

Main Results:

• Three key themes emerged: the need for reciprocal trust, clarity on research purpose and intent, and defined roles and responsibilities for researchers.
• A model emphasizing reciprocity between academic and community partners was proposed to facilitate the CBPR process.

Conclusions:

• Community participants expect reciprocal relationships and clearly defined roles in research partnerships.
• Academic researchers must consider community members' perceptions and expectations for successful CBPR.
• Addressing community expectations enhances the translation of research findings into community actions.