An Integrated Methodological Approach to Address Immigrants' Complex Health Issues: Lessons From the CAN-HEAL Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity Research
• Community-Based Research

Background:

• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) and integrated knowledge translation (IKT) emphasize equitable researcher-community partnerships.
• CBPR focuses on advocacy and systemic change, while IKT targets application and upstream solutions in health and social care.
• Previous collaborative research often prioritized either CBPR or IKT, but not a combined approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an innovative methodological approach integrating CBPR and IKT.
• To address the mental health needs of Arab immigrants and refugees in Ontario, Canada.
• To highlight successes, challenges, and enablers of this integrated approach.

Main Methods:

• The CAN-HEAL project utilized an integrated CBPR-IKT approach.
• Key pillars included multi-level community partnership, cultural sensitivity, and commitment to social justice and application.
• This involved co-development of a health promotion action plan.

Main Results:

• The integrated CBPR-IKT approach facilitated the co-development of a holistic, upstream-downstream health promotion action plan.
• Successes included addressing inequities and promoting community well-being.
• Challenges such as limited resources were mitigated by enablers like community leader support.

Conclusions:

• The integration of CBPR and IKT offers a powerful methodology for addressing community health needs.
• Recommendations are provided for advancing CBPR-IKT research to support community sustainability and well-being.
• This approach is valuable for governmental agencies and academic institutions involved in health equity research.