The State as Community in Community-Based Participatory Research

Area of Science:

• Public Health Research
• Community Engagement Strategies
• Health Equity

Background:

• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) traditionally defines communities by geography, ethnicity, or shared health needs.
• Engaging diverse and underserved populations is crucial for equitable health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a CBPR project focused on engaging diverse minority and underserved communities in Michigan.
• To identify effective strategies for fostering collaboration in health research priority setting.

Main Methods:

• A steering committee (SC) composed of community members and researchers led the project.
• Regional advisory groups (RAGs) were established to facilitate broader engagement.
• Evaluation involved questionnaires, focus groups, and meeting reviews to assess partnership dynamics.

Main Results:

• The partnership found value in RAGs, dedicated academic staff, and in-person meetings.
• Varied communication methods and capacity building tailored to experience levels were beneficial.
• Ongoing evaluation was essential for partnership development.

Conclusions:

• A broadly defined, geographically and culturally diverse partnership presents unique challenges and opportunities.
• Effective strategies include utilizing advisory groups, dedicated support, flexible communication, and adaptive capacity building.
• Successful academic-community partnerships require attention to representativeness, relationship building, and communication.