Lifestyle Interventions through Participatory Research: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of Alcohol and Other Breast Cancer Behavioural Risk Factors

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women globally. Sex and advancing age represent the dominant risk factors, with strong evidence of alcohol as a modifiable risk factor. The carcinogenic nature of alcohol has been known for over twenty years; however, this has failed to translate into significant behavioural, practice, or policy change. As a result, women have not benefitted from this research and, by extension, have been exposed to unnecessary breast cancer risk. Participatory research presents a solution to research translation in public health through the collaboration of impacted populations with academics in research. This systematic review examines peer-reviewed research studies where participants were involved in the research process and the outcomes related to breast cancer prevention (either alcohol or broader lifestyle modification). Seven of the eight studies reported positive effects, and the collaboration between academic researchers and impacted populations may have supported positive outcomes. Women were receptive and responsive to participatory approaches, and their participation is important to address socially entrenched behaviours such as alcohol consumption. Participatory research presents opportunities for future interventions to improve (or address) modifiable risk factors for breast cancer.

Refugee Resettlement and Macro Practice in the United States

Resettlement-related macro practice reflects a complicated history of immigration and refugee resettlement in the United States, as well as international and domestic policies that shape opportunities and services available to refugees who resettle through these mechanisms. Four intersecting domains of resettlement macro practice are (a) community organizing and community development, (b) advocacy, (c) policy analysis and development, and (d) community-centered management and program planning. To engage meaningfully in macro social work requires a grasp of the history and policies that drive decision-making of individual practitioners and shape the experiences of people resettling to the United States in search of safety and new beginnings. Research and participatory approaches are integral to resettlement macro practice to ensure refugee communities are at the center of all efforts to inform structural and systemic change.

A reflection on participatory research methodologies in the light of the COVID-19 – lessons learnt from the European Research Project TRIPS

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has had considerable impacts on research projects, particularly those adopting participatory approaches. This paper reflects on the methodological adaptations employed by the European research project TRIPS to facilitate co-design and open innovation practices towards the development of accessible mobility solutions. The article reports how the methods were adapted to facilitate participatory research with almost no physical meetings. In doing so, the paper presents the alternative ‘distanced-based’ participatory approaches employed to engage users with disabilities and institutional stakeholders in the transport ecosystem, like online workshops, social media content analysis, online surveys and peer-to-peer telephone interviews. Lessons learnt and practical guidelines for distance-based participatory research are presented and discussed with the aim of increasing resilience in the light of future changes.

Risk Communication and Community Engagement During the Migrant Worker COVID-19 Outbreak in Singapore

In early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) with large, diverse communities of migrant workers living in high-density accommodation was slow to develop. By August 2020, Singapore had reported 55,661 cases of COVID-19, with migrant workers comprising 94.6% of the cases. A system of RCCE among migrant worker communities in Singapore was developed to maximize synergy in RCCE. Proactive stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches with affected communities were key to effective dissemination of scientific information about COVID-19 and its prevention.

Using Collective Impact to Develop a Community-Led Initiative for Improving Black Infant Mortality

The United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among developed countries. When stratified by race, disparities are more evident: Black infant mortality rates are 2.5 times higher than non-Hispanic white infants. Structural, systemic racism is a contributing cause for these racial disparities. Multisector collaborations focused on a common agenda, often referred to as collective impact, have been used for infant mortality reduction interventions. In addition, community-based participatory approaches have been applied to incorporate those with lived experience related to adverse pregnancy outcomes. This article critically describes the transition of an infant mortality collective impact initiative from being led by a multisector organizational group to being community led over a 5-year period, 2015–2020. A 34-member community leaders group was developed and determined four priorities and corresponding strategies for the initiative. Findings show that community participatory approaches are a way to address racial equity for public health initiatives.

Environmental Flows Assessments in the face of uncertainty: supporting the adaptive management of environmental flows

Adaptive management has become the preferred approach for managing environmental flows globally, and successful implementation recognizes multiple dimensions of variability and complexity in socio-ecological systems. This paper outlines an environmental flow assessment methodology that explicitly addresses the uncertainty and change inherent in adaptively managing multiple values for management of environmental flows. While non-stationarity and uncertainty are well recognised in the climate literature, these have not been addressed within the structure of environmental flows methodologies. Here, we present an environmental flow assessment that is structured to explicitly consider future change and uncertainty in climate and socio-ecological values, by examining scenarios using ecological models. The environmental flow assessment methodology further supports adaptive management through the intentional integration of participatory approaches and the inclusion of diverse stakeholders. We present a case study to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, highlighting how this methodology facilitates adaptive management. Rethinking our approach to environmental flows assessments is an important step in ensuring that environmental flows continue to work effectively as a management tool under climate change.

Decolonising the Marketing Academy: An Indigenous Māori Perspective on Engagement, Methodologies and Practices

In a context where the marketing discipline and its institutions has no choice but to face up to its embeddedness in social issues it is therefore important and timely to consider how marketing in colonial states – in which indigenous lands were/are appropriated, cultures systematically discriminated against, and identities, language and generations stolen – acknowledges its past and confront its future. This essay calls for the understanding and incorporation of indigenous knowledges and worldviews. It further asks for considerations of cultural control, nonappropriation and participatory approaches in marketing. Acknowledging that a university or business school is sited on indigenous lands, or opening a meeting with greetings or formal introductions are relevant, but they become little more than indigenous tokenism unless they are part of a wider journey of change and understanding. Any incorporation of indigenous worldviews into marketing education and research must be cognisant of the potential for exploitation.

Older Adults as Co-Creators in the Research Process: An Overview of Concepts, Methods, and Approaches

Participatory approaches have a long-standing tradition in the social sciences and approaches have diversified across multiple research domains. Also in ageing, there is a growing interest in involving older adults, particularly in fields like gerontechnology development, environmental gerontology or patient involvement. In this contribution, ask what participatory approaches and co-creation means in the context of ageing research. What are the benefits and challenges of involving older adults in different research domains, stages of the research process and deploying various participatory methods and approaches? To approach this question, we present preliminary results of a comprehensive scoping review of the literature and provide examples of how older adults can be involved in developing research questions together with researchers, collecting and analysing the data, as well as validating and disseminating study results.