Abstract
Public health research in an international setting demands a framework that encourages collaboration between investigators and their host country during the planning stages of the research project and throughout its execution phase. The aim of the current project was to develop a needs assessment with rural Nicaraguan communities. The Community Oriented Primary Care model, which promotes commitment to partnerships and sustainability, was used to guide the needs assessment and research process. A multidisciplinary team of students traveled to three rural communities in Nicaragua to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, focused on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In this paper, the authors highlight the experience, challenges, and facilitators experienced by this team of students during the global health research process. Findings indicate using the COPC model as a guide afforded the research team with the opportunity to assess community needs, from community member perspectives, as a first step toward partnering with the community to develop appropriate future intervention projects.
Highlights
Public health research in an international setting demands a framework that encourages collaboration between investigators and their host country during the planning stages of the research project and throughout its execution phase
A multidisciplinary team of students traveled to three rural communities in Nicaragua to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, focused on risk factors for cardiovascular disease
The authors highlight the experience, challenges, and facilitators experienced by this team of students during the global health research process
Summary
Public health research in an international setting demands a framework that encourages collaboration between investigators and their host country during the planning stages of the research project and throughout its execution phase. The definition of community and, community engagement, vary (Tindana et al, 2007; Lavery et al, 2010). One example of community partnership that embodies some of these principles in the global setting is the project Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa; Mulderet et al, 2018). Their research studies are used to help guide initiative and public health policies that address inequities across Africa. Another project that uses international partnerships and community engagement in its work is the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) from the National Institute of Health (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2015). DAIDS, works to support research and infrastructure for scientific and community partnerships that develop interventions and prevention methods for HIV/AIDS
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