RESUMO
Community-based and participatory research have become significant activities during the past 15 years as public health practitioners and researchers have sought new ways to provide effective disease prevention and health promotion programs. It is also important that more examples of evaluation schemes be contributed for field testing. The process evaluation model offered here was based on an eclectic literature search because the evaluators did not know what directions this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded Urban Research Center would take and wanted to be thorough. Participatory action research using predominantly qualitative methods provided a research approach congruent with the capacity-building and power-sharing principles of the center. Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities is not a traditional community project, acting primarily as a broker for expertise and community needs. However, it has been successful in supporting and evaluating community health projects.
Assuntos
Serviços de Saúde Comunitária/normas , Promoção da Saúde/normas , Avaliação de Processos em Cuidados de Saúde , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde , Saúde Pública , Serviços Urbanos de Saúde/normas , Humanos , Modelos Organizacionais , Formulação de Políticas , Poder Psicológico , WashingtonRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study describes key activities integral to the development of 3 community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships. METHODS: We compared findings from individual case studies conducted at 3 urban research centers (URCs) to identify crosscutting adaptations of a CBPR approach in the first 4 years of the partnerships' development. RESULTS: Activities critical in partnership development include sharing decision-making, defining principles of collaboration, establishing research priorities, and securing funding. Intermediate outcomes were sustained CBPR partnerships, trust within the partnerships, public health research programs, and increased capacity to conduct CBPR. Challenges included the time needed for meaningful collaboration, concerns regarding sustainable funding, and issues related to institutional racism. CONCLUSIONS: The URC experiences suggest that CBPR can be successfully implemented in diverse settings.