Challenges of Data Dissemination Efforts Within a Community-Based Participatory Project About Persistent Racial Disparities in Excess Weight

Abstract

Background Despite universal environmental and policy-focused initiatives that resulted in declines in obesity among children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, disparities persist among racial/ethnic groups. In response, a community coalition formed the Healthy Eating and Living Project (HELP), to investigate and disseminate findings regarding disparities in excess weight among Cambridge Black youth (ages 6–14), with the aim of facilitating reciprocal learning and community mobilization to ultimately increase community engagement and inform prevention efforts. Objectives This paper details the theoretical framework, methods, and results of disseminating HELP findings to various sectors of the Cambridge Black/African American (Black) community. Methods First, using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the HELP coalition analyzed existing data and conducted qualitative studies with Cambridge Black families to better understand the sociocultural and familial determinants of excess weight. We then developed presentation and print materials and used different dissemination approaches. We solicited feedback to inform the dissemination process and mobilization of obesity prevention efforts. Results We disseminated information through six community groups (parents, students, pastors, men’s health group, community leaders, and a health coalition), email lists, and websites. Reciprocal learning among and between HELP and community members yielded data presentation challenges, as well as prevention effort ideas and barriers. Conclusion Dissemination of local health data should be considered both as a strategy to increase community engagement and as an intervention to promote collective efficacy and community change. Careful attention should be dedicated to the language used when communicating racial disparities in excess weight to various community groups.

Community Planning Perspective and Its Role within the Social Policy of the Municipalities

“…The current state of research in the field of community planning policy offers several different approaches. There are articles presenting research results (Santilli et al 2016;Garnett et al 2015), analyzing selected cases (Angeles et al 2014;Pearce 2003;Siemiatycki 2007) or are comparative (Angeles et al 2014). In addition to these types of studies, we can also find works dealing with methods or applied strategies (Andersson 2011;Garnett et al 2015).…”

“…There are articles presenting research results (Santilli et al 2016;Garnett et al 2015), analyzing selected cases (Angeles et al 2014;Pearce 2003;Siemiatycki 2007) or are comparative (Angeles et al 2014). In addition to these types of studies, we can also find works dealing with methods or applied strategies (Andersson 2011;Garnett et al 2015). Presentations of research and project results are extended by work manuals and handbooks (Wates 2014) to facilitate the realization of community planning for anyone who starts or wants to improve current practices.…”

“…It focuses on single selected sectoral policy (Andersson 2011;Santilli et al 2016;Angeles et al 2014;Garnett et al 2015;Siemiatycki 2007;Pearce 2003) or is generalized with the impact on all sector policies (Wates 2014;Pearce 2003). Most often, community planning is used to address health services issues (Andersson 2011;Santilli et al 2016;Garnett et al 2015). We also identify cases dealing with social services (Angeles et al 2014) or transport and infrastructure (Siemiatycki 2007).…”

“…Participation of actors take into account problems and needs of the population. The leading role is given to local parliaments, councils and various officials of the authorities (Andersson 2011;Wates 2014;Garnett et al 2015;Siemiatycki 2007;Pearce 2003;Angeles et al 2014). This highlights the position of the public sector.…”

A Retrospective on the Vision for Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action

“…“CBPR definitional issues” rated lowest in this domain, perhaps owing to a relative consistency across CBPR definitions. Manuscripts addressed the recommended themes of incorporating participatory strategies into existing methodological approaches, 20–22 partnership development of scales and instruments, 23,24 incorporating technological innovations into research (e.g., GPS and mapping programs to represent data about interactions between people, environments, and disease), 25–27 and local dissemination of data as both “a community engagement strategy and intervention to promote collective efficacy.” 28 …”