The experience of community engagement for individuals: a rapid review of evidence

Abstract

What is known about this topic dCommunity engagement is central to many health improvement programmes. dCommunity engagement involves a range of strategies from simple consultation to community control. Evidence of the impact of community engagement on 'engaged' individuals is limited. What this paper adds dThe majority of individuals perceive benefits from community engagement -for physical and psychological health, self-confidence and esteem, personal empowerment and social relationships. For some individuals there are unintended adverse consequences of community engagement, such as exhaustion and stress, which may pose a risk to well-being. Potential adverse consequences need to be considered by those planning community engagement initiatives. AbstractCommunity engagement is central to strategies to promote health and well-being and reduce health inequalities in many countries, particularly interventions which focus on improving health in disadvantaged populations. Despite the widespread use of community engagement approaches, however, there have been relatively few attempts to review the evidence on the impact that participation has on the lives of individuals involved. Drawing on a wider review of evidence carried out on behalf of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), this article reports on a rapid review of evidence of the effectiveness of initiatives which seek to engage communities in action to address the wider social determinants of health, to explore individuals' subjective experiences of engagement. The rapid review process was guided by NICE's public health methods manual, adapted to suit the diversity of the evidence. A total of 22 studies were identified containing empirical data on subjective experiences of community engagement for individuals. The findings of the rapid review suggest that the majority of 'engaged' individuals perceived benefits for their physical and psychological health, self-confidence, selfesteem, sense of personal empowerment and social relationships. Set against these positive outcomes, however, the evidence suggests that there are unintended negative consequences of community engagement for some individuals, which may pose a risk to well-being. These consequences included exhaustion and stress, as involvement drained participants' energy levels as well as time and financial resources. The physical demands of engagement were reported as particularly onerous by individuals with disabilities. Consultation fatigue and disappointment were negative consequences for some participants who had experienced successive waves of engagement initiatives. For some individuals, engagement may involve a process of negotiation between gains and losses. This complexity needs to be more widely recognised among those who seek to engage communities.

An exploration of the longer-term impacts of community participation in rural health services design

“…Within the literature there is increasing interest in community participation, with authors highlighting examples of, methods, approaches and intentions (for example, Attree et al, 2011;Draper et al, 2010;Freeman et al, 2014;MacLeod et al, 2012;Milton et al, 2011;Summerville et al, 2008). In the Scottish context broadly, Moore and McKee (2014) propose that the Scottish Government's policy innovations, including community empowerment legislation (Scottish Parliament, 2014), envision partnerships between state and citizens.…”

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

“…10,11 Despite the research interest in social participation, the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity. There are multiple concepts that are either used to describe aspects of or used interchangeably with the term 'social participation', including volunteering, 12 civic engagement, 13 community engagement, 14 community participation, 15 formal social participation 16 and social engagement. 10 The lack of consensus on a definition of social participation results in communication difficulties for those using the concept, problems in the development and selection of instruments to measure social participation, difficulties comparing results across studies and potentially ineffective social policy efforts.…”

Communities' Initiative in Addressing Hunger in Relocation Sites in Cebu, Philippines

“…The term was further associated with community participation which entails active involvement of community members towards collective decision-making (Sarkissian et al 2009;Attree et al 2011). From the collaboration of stakeholders to "collective" thinking of communities, community engagement was later defined in a broader context which including working with identified groups, regardless of social, cultural or geographical classifications, towards achieving a common objective.…”

“…The study aimed to determine the results of the project in addressing the eminent hunger in the relocation sites; and discuss the effects of communities' initiatives in assisting fellow communities. The operation of the project emphasized collaboration between institutions and communities' involvement in decision-making and activities -all boils down to community engagement (Attree et al, 2011;Holland and Ramaley, 2008). The study was conducted in SM and Yolanda relocation sites in Bogo City from January to July 2016.…”