Community Engagement Processes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Health Research Settings: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Community Engagement is an important ethical imperative in research. Although substantial research emphasizes its real value and strategic importance, much of the available literature focuses primarily on the success of community participation, with little emphasis given to specific community engagement processes and strategies in relation to intended outcomes in research environments. The study’s objective was to explore the nature of community engagement strategies in health research settings in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: The study design was informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched for peer-reviewed, English-language literature published between January 2011 and December 2021 through three databases on the internet (PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar). The terms "community engagement," "community involvement," "participation," "research settings," and "low- and middle-income countries" were merged in the search. Results: The majority of publications (8/10) were led by authors from low- and middle-income countries, with many of them (9/10) failing to continuously include important aspects of study quality. Articles were most likely to describe community engagement in consultation and information sessions, even though they were less participatory. The articles covered a wide range of health issues, but the majority were concerned with infectious diseases such as Malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis, followed by studies on the environment and broader health factors. Articles were largely under-theorized. Conclusions: Despite the lack of theoretical underpinnings for various community engagement strategies, community engagement in research settings was variable. Future studies should go deeper into community engagement theory, acknowledge the power dynamics underpin community engagement, and be more practical about the extent to which communities may participate.