ABSTRACT
This paper describes a qualitative evaluation of a small-scale program aiming to improve health information literacy, leadership skills, and interest in health careers among high school students in a low-income, primarily minority community. Graduates participated in semi-structured interviews, transcripts of which were coded with a combination of objectives-driven and data-driven categories. The program had a positive impact on the participants' health information competency, leadership skills, academic orientation, and interest in health careers. Program enablers included a supportive network of adults, novel experiences, and strong mentorship. The study suggests that health information can provide a powerful context for enabling disadvantaged students' community engagement and academic success.
Subject(s)
Career Choice , Health Literacy , Leadership , Adolescent , Female , Health Education/methods , Health Literacy/methods , Humans , Male , Minority Groups , Social Change , South Carolina , Vulnerable PopulationsABSTRACT
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a paradigm to study and reduce disparities in health outcomes related to chronic disease. Community advisory boards (CABs) commonly formalize the academic-community partnerships that guide CBPR by providing a mechanism for community members to have representation in research activities. Researchers and funding agencies increasingly recognize the value of the community's contribution to research and acknowledge that community advisory boards are a key component of successful CBPR projects. In this article, we describe the best processes for forming, operating, and maintaining CABs for CBPR. We synthesize the literature and offer our professional experiences to guide formation, operation, and maintenance of CABs.
Subject(s)
Community-Based Participatory Research/organization & administration , Governing Board/organization & administration , Benchmarking , Humans , Public-Private Sector PartnershipsABSTRACT
Models demonstrating an evidence-based approach to the integration of nursing education, research, and practice are needed to ensure excellence in the nursing profession. Using a theoretical framework of community-engaged scholarship, this article describes a program developed by the Medical University of South Carolina's College of Nursing linking advanced practice, service learning, and applied clinical research for nurse-midwifery faculty and students, while meeting the perinatal healthcare needs of a group of underserved women. Principles of community-based partnerships and integration of scholarship and research in a clinical discipline provide a pragmatic structure to describe and facilitate replication of the program.