African-American Women's Conceptualizations of Health Disparities: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach

Childhood obesity is a major epidemic, with African American (AA) children aged 6 to 11 years experiencing increased burden. The AA faith community has numerous assets that point to the need for the intersection of faith and health to address obesity-related racial disparities. The purpose of the Our Bodies, God’s Temples (OBGT) study was to examine diet, physical activity, and body image behaviors among AA children aged 6 to 11 years; receptivity to a faith-based obesity intervention among AA children, parents, and church leaders; and strengths and barriers of implementing a faith-based obesity curriculum in the Sunday school setting. A community-based participatory research approach was used to develop an obesity intervention to be integrated into the church Sunday school setting for AA children. A Community Advisory Network worked with researchers to develop a 12-week culturally appropriate faith-based obesity intervention. Future work will test the effectiveness of the newly created curriculum on obesity-related outcomes in AA children.

Download Full-text

Engaging Hmong adults in genomic and pharmacogenomic research: Toward reducing health disparities in genomic knowledge using a community-based participatory research approach

Journal of Community Genetics ◽

10.1007/s12687-017-0292-x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 117-125 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Kathleen A. Culhane-Pera ◽

Robert J. Straka ◽

MaiKia Moua ◽

Youssef Roman ◽

Pachia Vue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Disparities ◽

Participatory Research ◽

Community Based Participatory Research ◽

Research Approach ◽

Community Based ◽

Genomic Knowledge ◽

Participatory Research Approach

Download Full-text

Research From a Diné-Centered Perspective and the Development of a Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/10901981211011926 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 361-370

Author(s):

Vincent Werito ◽

Lorenda Belone

Keyword(s):

Health Disparities ◽

Participatory Research ◽

Community Based Participatory Research ◽

Well Being ◽

Research Approach ◽

Research Partnership ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Engaged Research ◽

Intervention Approach ◽

Participatory Research Approach

Purpose. Indigenous ( Diné) communities have long endured high rates of behavioral and mental health diseases like depression, drug and alcohol dependency, and suicide due to historical trauma and posttraumatic stress disorders. Western research methods used to address these issues have often failed to provide sufficient understanding of the culturally nuanced dynamics underpinning these health disparities in Indigenous contexts. As a result, Indigenous health disparities have actually increased and complex culture-based relationships that influence health outcomes are underconceptualized. Aim. For the first time a community-based participatory research approach from a Diné perspective is introduced to three Navajo communities in New Mexico to collaboratively explore their perspectives about community-engaged research and community well-being from a Diné lens. The overarching research question was: Can a community-based participatory research approach embedded within a Diné research paradigm be utilized to develop a culturally centered intervention approach? Methods. The study utilized a mixed method approach that included surveys and focus groups. Results. Six overarching themes emerged that underscored the important role of utilizing a community-based participatory Diné-centered approach to define community well-being and increase community agency to address their own health disparities. Conclusion. Indigenous-centered community-engaged research can potentially become an intervention approach for informing Indigenous communities’ understandings of well-being by drawing upon local cultural Indigenous knowledge. This study demonstrated that developing an effective community-engaged research partnership to address health disparities in a Diné context must be informed by a Diné paradigm grounded in local community cultural knowledge.

Download Full-text