Community-Based Participatory Research Principles for the African American Community

IntroductionPower relations permeate research partnerships and compromise the ability of participatory research approaches to bring about transformational and sustainable change. This study aimed to explore how participatory health researchers engaged in co-production research perceive and experience ‘power’, and how it is discussed and addressed within the context of research partnerships.MethodsFive online workshops were carried out with participatory health researchers working in different global contexts. Transcripts of the workshops were analysed thematically against the ‘Social Ecology of Power’ framework and mapped at the micro (individual), meso (interpersonal) or macro (structural) level.ResultsA total of 59 participants, with participatory experience in 24 different countries, attended the workshops. At the micro level, key findings included the rarity of explicit discussions on the meaning and impact of power, the use of reflexivity for examining assumptions and power differentials, and the perceived importance of strengthening co-researcher capacity to shift power. At the meso level, participants emphasised the need to manage co-researcher expectations, create spaces for trusted dialogue, and consider the potential risks faced by empowered community partners. Participants were divided over whether gatekeeper engagement aided the research process or acted to exclude marginalised groups from participating. At the macro level, colonial and ‘traditional’ research legacies were acknowledged to have generated and maintained power inequities within research partnerships.ConclusionsThe ‘Social Ecology of Power’ framework is a useful tool for engaging with power inequities that cut across the social ecology, highlighting how they can operate at the micro, meso and macro level. This study reiterates that power is pervasive, and that while many researchers are intentional about engaging with power, actions and available tools must be used more systematically to identify and address power imbalances in participatory research partnerships, in order to contribute to improved equity and social justice outcomes.

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“…Rename and/or redefine CBPR principles so they are culturally appropriate, as done by the National Black Leadership Initiative 62 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘You want to deal with power while riding on power’: global perspectives on power in participatory health research and co-production approaches

et al. 2021

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“…This review highlights opportunities for academic-community collaborations in addressing disparities among AAs, gaps in community-engaged and community-based participated research, and various ways to capitalize on community capacity to deliver interventions with some indication that such methods can be acceptable and promising to reduce the CVD burden. Academic institutions engaging the community and establishing shared responsibility can build infrastructure to support the development, implementation and dissemination of acceptable, evidence-based, effective and sustainable interventions for future use [103,104]. Yet, based on the available studies, there is insufficient data to recommend a specific community-engaged or CBPR intervention to improve attainment of AHA LS7 metrics among AAs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-engaged and community-based participatory research to promote American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 among African American adults: A systematic review

et al. 2020

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Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and African Americans (AA) have a disproportionately greater burden of CVD as compared to Whites. The American Heart Association (AHA) Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) framework outlines goals for attaining ideal cardiovascular health. Yet, there is a lack of evidence summarizing best practices to maximize LS7 attainment. The objective of the present study was to systematically review the extant peer-reviewed literature on community-engaged and community-based participatory research (CBPR) aimed at improving one or more LS7 metrics among AA. Methods PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases were searched. We included articles that reported quantitative results for one or more of the following LS7 metrics: physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, and glycemia. We included analyses with a greater than 50% AA study population focused on adults (≥18 years of age). Results Of the 1008 unique studies identified, 54 met inclusion criteria; 27 of which were randomized controlled trials. 50% of studies assessed more than one LS7 metric but only two studies evaluated all seven of the LS7 metrics. No studies had a high proportion of AA males. 40 studies improved at least one LS7 metric at the study end-point. Formative research was used in many studies to guide intervention design. Studies were of varying quality, but overall rated “fair” using a modified approach to the National Institute of Health quality assessment tool. Conclusion There is insufficient data to recommend a specific community-engaged or CBPR intervention to improve attainment of LS7 metrics among AA. Future studies using rigorous methodology with increased gender diversity and utilizing the AHA LS7 framework are required to establish a validated program to improve LS7 in AAs.

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“…183,184,[229][230][231][232][233][234][235][236] Of utmost importance are collaborative, equitable community health needs assessments to allow a better understanding of community priorities/needs, socioeconomic constraints/barriers, and strengths/assets to ensure that deployed interventions within underserved communities are relevant, meaningful, scalable, and sustainable. [237][238][239][240][241][242][243][244][245][246] Through its Empowered to Serve initiative and significant investments through its Social Impact Funds, the AHA has galvanized a movement to reduce CVH disparities in underresourced communities by supporting community advocates, social justice leaders, social entrepreneurs, and locally owned businesses in implementing community-led models to improve SDOH. 247 Life Course and Intergenerational Perspectives on CVH Promotion Across Ecological Levels Figure 4 depicts key windows and transitions in the life course of CVH, along with examples of opportunities to preserve or improve CVH at every stage.…”

Section: Neighborhoods and Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life’s Essential 8: Updating and Enhancing the American Heart Association’s Construct of Cardiovascular Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

Lloyd-Jones¹,

Allen²,

Anderson³

et al. 2022

Circulation

1,092

719

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In 2010, the American Heart Association defined a novel construct of cardiovascular health to promote a paradigm shift from a focus solely on disease treatment to one inclusive of positive health promotion and preservation across the life course in populations and individuals. Extensive subsequent evidence has provided insights into strengths and limitations of the original approach to defining and quantifying cardiovascular health. In response, the American Heart Association convened a writing group to recommend enhancements and updates. The definition and quantification of each of the original metrics (Life’s Simple 7) were evaluated for responsiveness to interindividual variation and intraindividual change. New metrics were considered, and the age spectrum was expanded to include the entire life course. The foundational contexts of social determinants of health and psychological health were addressed as crucial factors in optimizing and preserving cardiovascular health. This presidential advisory introduces an enhanced approach to assessing cardiovascular health: Life’s Essential 8. The components of Life’s Essential 8 include diet (updated), physical activity, nicotine exposure (updated), sleep health (new), body mass index, blood lipids (updated), blood glucose (updated), and blood pressure. Each metric has a new scoring algorithm ranging from 0 to 100 points, allowing generation of a new composite cardiovascular health score (the unweighted average of all components) that also varies from 0 to 100 points. Methods for implementing cardiovascular health assessment and longitudinal monitoring are discussed, as are potential data sources and tools to promote widespread adoption in policy, public health, clinical, institutional, and community settings.

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Community-Based Participatory Research Principles for the African American Community

Cited by 28 publications

References 7 publications

‘You want to deal with power while riding on power’: global perspectives on power in participatory health research and co-production approaches

‘You want to deal with power while riding on power’: global perspectives on power in participatory health research and co-production approaches

Community-engaged and community-based participatory research to promote American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 among African American adults: A systematic review

Life’s Essential 8: Updating and Enhancing the American Heart Association’s Construct of Cardiovascular Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

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