Ripple Effects Mapping: Evaluating Multilevel Perspectives and Impacts of a Statewide Community-Academic Partnership...

Area of Science:

• Public Health Research
• Health Disparities
• Community-Academic Partnerships

Background:

• Community-academic partnerships were crucial for addressing COVID-19 health disparities in marginalized communities.
• Federal response included establishing regional networks to engage impacted communities in health disparities research.
• The Share, Trust, Organize, Partner COVID-19 California Alliance (STOP COVID-19 CA) network was part of this federal initiative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the STOP COVID-19 CA network on community-academic partnerships' capacity for health disparities research.
• To map changes and conditions related to partnerships using the social ecological model.

Main Methods:

• Employed ripple effects mapping (REM), a participatory action research method, in spring 2024.
• Conducted group interviews to capture direct and indirect outcomes of community-based programs.
• Mapped short-, medium-, and long-term changes onto the social ecological model's spheres of influence.

Main Results:

• 24 participants (community and academic partners) engaged in REM sessions.
• Most changes occurred at individual and interpersonal levels (medium-term), including increased research capacity and shared understanding.
• Community-level changes identified culturally responsive dissemination (e.g., promotora model); policy level revealed inequities and need for structural university changes.

Conclusions:

• Outcomes were primarily individual/interpersonal and medium-term.
• The network facilitated discussions on necessary structural changes within university infrastructure for community-engaged scholarship.
• Such networks build capacity for partnerships in health disparities research, potentially driving public health policy change.