Co-creation and engagement in a DNA integrity cohort study

Area of Science:

• Community-based participatory research
• Genetics research
• Public health

Background:

• Effective participant recruitment is crucial for DNA integrity studies.
• Engaging minoritized communities requires tailored approaches focusing on respect and accessibility.
• Community advisory boards (CABs) can bridge research teams and communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the collaborative process between a research community engagement (CE) team and a community advisory board (CAB).
• To highlight the co-creation of participant recruitment and consent materials for a DNA integrity study.
• To emphasize the importance of bidirectional communication and community engagement in research.

Main Methods:

• A ten-member CAB was divided into two groups for iterative feedback on recruitment and consent materials.
• The CE team documented CAB meeting notes for continuous refinement of materials and activities.
• Community leaders were engaged to broaden outreach and address concerns.

Main Results:

• Co-created recruitment and consent materials facilitated the enrollment of 191 participants.
• Expanded engagement, including community leaders, increased study awareness.
• Bidirectional communication fostered researcher consideration of community interests and concerns.

Conclusions:

• The CAB-CE team partnership enhanced understanding of respectful and accessible engagement.
• This collaboration improved communication with potential study participants.
• The approach facilitated expanded community engagement in genetic research.