Challenges and Lessons from Conducting a Community-Engaged Evaluation of a Community Advisory Board-A Case Study from...

Area of Science:

• Community-Engaged Research
• Public Health Research
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Community-engaged research presents unique challenges compared to traditional top-down approaches.
• Existing literature often discusses challenges but lacks generalizable solutions.
• Building trust is paramount, especially in communities with historical research distrust.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and address challenges in multilevel community-engaged research.
• To provide practical, generalizable lessons for future community-engaged projects.
• To share experiences from a project involving a community advisory board and participants from Flint, Michigan.

Main Methods:

• Multi-level community engagement: academic-community partner team, Community Advisory Board (CBOP-CERB), and community participant recruitment.
• Qualitative analysis of challenges encountered during the research process.
• Development of practical strategies to mitigate identified challenges.

Main Results:

• Multi-level engagement introduced administrative and operational complexities.
• Historical distrust in Flint, Michigan, required specific trust-building strategies.
• Effective engagement necessitates adaptive management and clear communication.

Conclusions:

• Community-engaged research requires intentional strategies to overcome inherent challenges.
• Addressing multilevel engagement and community trust is key to successful research.
• Lessons learned can inform best practices for equitable and effective community-academic partnerships.