*please excuse cross-postings

Dear SDOH colleagues,

The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released the
report,  Community-based Participatory Research: Assessing the Evidence
in PDF form on its website at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/evrptpdfs.htm#cbpr
The citation and abstract appear below.

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) will be hosting a
teleconference on the report's findings this fall, featuring the report's
authors as presenters.  Stay tuned for details!    If you forward this
email to colleagues not on the CBPR listserv, they can get the details by
joining the listserv or by signing up for CCPH's monthly e-news at
www.ccph.info

Viswanathan M, Ammerman A, Eng E, Gartlehner G, Lohr KN, Griffith D,
Rhodes S, Samuel-Hodge C, Maty S, Lux, L, Webb L, Sutton SF, Swinson T,
Jackman A, Whitener L. Community-Based Participatory Research: Assessing
the Evidence. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 99 (Prepared by
RTIUniversity of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center under
Contract No. 290-02-0016). AHRQ Publication 04-E022-
2. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. July 2004.

Structured Abstract

Context: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative
approach to research that combines methods of inquiry with community
capacity-building strategies to bridge the gap between knowledge produced
through research and what is practiced in communities to improve health.
Interest is growing rapidly for academic institutions, health agencies,
and communities to form research partnerships; few agreed-upon guidelines
describe how to develop or evaluate CBPR proposals or what resources are
required to promote successful collaborative research efforts.

Objectives: This systematic review consolidates literature on
health-related CBPR. We addressed the following key questions:
Key Question 1: What defines CBPR?
Key Question 2: How has CBPR been implemented to date with regard to the
quality of research methodology and community involvement?
Key Question 3: What is the evidence that CBPR efforts have resulted in
the intended outcomes?
Key Question 4: What criteria and processes should be used for review of
CBPR in grant proposals?

Data Sources: For KQs 1-4, we searched standard electronic databases
(MEDLINE, Cochrane Collaboration resources, Psycinfo, and Sociofile) for
all years using specified Medical Subject Headings terms. We identified a
forthcoming special journal issue and hand-searched reference lists of
relevant articles. For KQ 4, we also reviewed websites for funding
agencies and talked with federal agency staff.

Study Selection: For KQ 1, we used peer-reviewed articles that synthesized
the evolution of, values for, or lessons learned from collaborative
research. For KQ 2 and 3, we included peer reviewed CBPR studies published
in the English language, conducted in the United States and Canada, and
with at least one community collaborator.

Data Extraction: To review articles for KQ 1 through 3, we created
separate abstraction forms. We entered abstracted data for KQ 1 into a
domain matrix and for KQ 2 and 3 into evidence tables. We created quality
rating forms to assess each studys research methods and adherence to
CBPR principles of community collaboration.

Data Synthesis: We reviewed a total of 185 articles: 55 for KQ1; 123 for
KQs 2 and 3; and 7 for KQ 4. The 123 articles for KQs 2 and 3 pertain to
60 CBPR studies. Of the 30 intervention studies, 12 had been completed and
evaluated. Quality ratings for these suggested stronger research scores
for the experimental studies than for the others, although nonexperimental
studies also showed modest effects on health outcomes. Quality ratings for
community participation were strongest for recruitment/retention and
intervention design followed by development and pilot testing of measures.
Steering committees or advisory boards were the main mechanisms for
sharing research decisionmaking, but these formal structures generally did
not develop research questions or proposals.

The number of high-quality CBPR publications has increased recently, which
may reflect more targeted funding and special journal issues on this
theme. Guidelines are still needed to assist funding agencies and grant
applicants and reviewers in achieving the best balance of rigorous
research and optimal collaboration among communities and institutions.
Conclusions: Many CBPR studies had strong community-institution
collaborations; relatively few combined this type of collaboration with
solid research methods. Our synthesis of this literature enabled us to
produce guidelines to improve the quality of and funding for CBPR.

************************************************************************
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health is a nonprofit organization
that promotes health through partnerships between communities and
higher educational institutions.  Check out our website at www.ccph.info

Join us for our first-ever international conference being cosponsored
by CCPH and The Network: Toward Unity for Health, October 6-10, 2004 in
Atlanta, GA USA on Overcoming Health Disparities through Partnerships

CCPH is the Higher Education Senior Program Advisor for the Learn and
Serve America National Service-Learning Clearinghouse.  Visit the
Clearinghouse at www.servicelearning.org
************************************************************************

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