Members Of Community-based Organization Research Articles

Tackling the social marketing formative research bottleneck: comparative analysis of the complementary nature of community-generated personas and focus groups

Purpose This study aims to understand the utility of personas and illustrate, through a case study, how a persona-building exercise in a Community Based Prevention Marketing (CBPM) training of community leaders elicited important insights that complemented findings from ongoing formative research on vaccine hesitancy in the Hispanic/Latino population in the USA during COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory concurrent parallel qualitative study design compared three personas created by community-based organization members (n = 37) to transcripts from five formative research focus groups (n = 30) from the same project. All participants in this study were recruited by the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network as part of their capacity-building and formative research activities. Grounded theory guided the content analysis. Findings This study found personas and focus groups to be complementary. A high degree of co-occurrence was observed when investigating the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine under the categories of barriers, culture and communication. Between the two methods, the authors found strong associations between fear, disruption to the value system, work-related barriers, inaccessibility to health care and information sources and misinformation. Areas of divergence were negligible. Research limitations/implications While personas provided background information about the population and sharing “how” to reach the priority population, focus groups provided the “why” behind the behavior, followed by “how”. Practical implications A community-driven persona-building process built on cultural community knowledge and existing data can build community capacity, provide rich information to assist in the creation of tailored messages, strategies and overall interventions during a public health crisis and provide user-centered, evidence-based information about a priority population while researchers and practitioners wait on the results from formative research. Originality/value This case study provided a unique opportunity to analyze the complementary effectiveness of two methods acting in tandem to understand the priority population: stakeholder-informed persona-building and participant-informed focus group interviews. Understanding their complementary nature addresses a time gap that often exists between researchers and practitioners during times of crises and builds on recommendations associated with bringing rigor into practice, promoting academic contribution to real-world issues and building collaborative partnerships. Finally, it supports the utility of a nimble tool that improves social marketers’ ability to know more about their audience for intervention design when time is of the essence and formative research is ongoing.

A Learning Health System Approach to Cancer Survivorship Care Among LGBTQ+ Communities.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals who receive primary care services at community health centers are often referred to external specialty care centers after cancer diagnosis, upon which primary care services are disrupted and may be discontinued because of gaps in communication between primary and oncologic care providers. This qualitative study evaluated barriers and facilitators to effective care coordination for LGBTQ+ patients with cancer and the utility of a novel cancer care coordination tool to mitigate identified barriers. Semistructured interviews with LGBTQ+ cancer survivors, caregivers to LGBTQ+ persons, clinical team members who provide care to LGBTQ+ patients, and members of community-based organizations that work with LGBTQ+ patients were conducted. Interview analysis was a multistage process, wherein a constant comparison approach was used. Transcripts were reviewed and coded using Atlas.ti Cloud. A total of 26 individuals were interviewed: 10 patients, four caregivers, 10 clinical care team members, and two community organization representatives. Interview analysis yielded insight regarding (1) LGBTQ+ patient experiences engaging with primary and oncologic care at the clinic level and (2) perceptions of patient-provider and provider-provider communication and coordination. Interview findings indicate a need for further development of interventions aimed at improving care coordination, patient experience, and outcomes in the cancer care continuum for LGBTQ+ patients. Learning health systems, like the one studied, show great potential for contributing to the development of such interventions.

Adaptation and implementation of a parenting curriculum in a refugee/immigrant community using a task-shifting approach: a study protocol

BackgroundDelivering evidence-based interventions to refugee and immigrant families is difficult for several reasons, including language and cultural issues, and access and trust issues that can lead to an unwillingness to engage with the typical intervention delivery systems. Adapting both the intervention and the delivery system for evidence-based interventions can make those interventions more appropriate and palatable for the targeted population, increasing uptake and effectiveness. This study focuses on the adaptation of the SafeCare© parenting model, and its delivery through either standard implementation methods via community-based organizations (CBO) and a task-shifted implementation in which members of the Afghans, Burmese, Congolese community will be trained to deliver SafeCare.MethodAn adaptation team consisting of community members, members of CBO, and SafeCare experts will engage a structured process to adapt the SafeCare curriculum for each targeted community. Adaptations will focus on both the model and the delivery of it. Data collection of the adaptation process will focus on documenting adaptations and team member’s engagement and satisfaction with the process. SafeCare will be implemented in each community in two ways: standard implementation and task-shifted implementation. Standard implementation will be delivered by CBOs (n = 120), and task-shifted implementation will be delivered by community members (n = 120). All interventionists will be trained in a standard format, and will receive post-training support. Both implementation metrics and family outcomes will be assessed. Implementation metrics will include ongoing adaptations, delivery of services, fidelity, skill uptake by families, engagement/completion, and satisfaction with services. Family outcomes will include assessments at three time points (pre, post, and 6 months) of positive parenting, parent-child relationship, parenting stress, and child behavioral health.DiscussionThe need for adapting of evidence-based programs and delivery methods for specific populations continues to be an important research question in implementation science. The goal of this study is to better understand an adaptation process and delivery method for three unique populations. We hope the study will inform other efforts to deliver health intervention to refugee communities and ultimately improve refugee health.

Soviet in Form, National in Content: Central Asian Migrants in the Cultural Infrastructure of Moscow

Unlike the leisure practices of migrants from Central Asia in large Russian cities, which recently came to the attention of researchers, the presence of this population in the urban cultural infrastructure has hardly been studied so far. This research, based on in-depth interviews with members of community-based organizations and artistic groups established by people from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, as well as observation of their activities at various cultural venues in Moscow, discusses the peculiarities of post-Soviet diversity management. In this article I am making two main points: (i) The self-presentations of people of Central Asian origin on various public platforms in Moscow largely involve performing the role of ambassadors of a homogenous 'national culture'. Such a form of cultural behaviour, inherited from Soviet past, allows the participants of corresponding events to achieve guaranteed recognition from both the host site and their compatriots. It legitimizes their presence in the public sphere as agents of the 'dialogue of cultures,' since it fits the dominant discourse of ethnic diversity in Russia. Thus, for the majority of informants, culture turns out to be a kind of 'safe space,' cleansed of the daily troubles associated with labour migration; (ii) it may seem that this kind of self-expression for migrants is determined by social powers: whether the latter are officials, responsible for national policy in Moscow, embassies of Central Asian republics, or public organizations calling themselves 'diasporas'. But with a deeper study of the issue, it turns out that the aforementioned scenarios of self-presentation are still playable without direct influence from the authorities. The explanation is that Central Asian migrants voluntarily accept this representation that is Soviet in form and national in content as far as it makes it possible to symbolically overcome the marginalization that they face.

Inter-Personal Trust, Transaction Cost and Livelihood Success of the Members in Community-Based Organizations

This study attempted to study how interpersonal trust affects transaction costs and livelihood success of the members in community-based organizations (CBOs). Data were collected from 164 members of CBOs (76 from Samurdhi, 53 from Farmers’ Organizations, and 35 from Sanasa) selected from three Divisional Secretariate Divisions in Ratanapura District. The data were collected by a structured questionnaire having the face to face interviews and analyzed using Partial Least Squire Structural Equation Modeling. The results revealed that interpersonal trust has a negative influence on TC and it has a positive influence on the livelihood success of the members in CBOs. The results further confirmed that transaction costs play a mediator role in the relationship between interpersonal trust and the livelihood success of the members in CBOs. Thus, the study makes important contributions to the literature by providing empirical evidence related to the role of interpersonal trust on TC and the livelihood success of the members in CBOs.

THE SEARCH STUDY: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO DIVERSE STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTHY AGING ACROSS CHICAGOLAND

Older adults face increased risk of chronic diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s dementia and other adverse age-related outcomes. However, the conceptualization of healthy aging and how age-related issues are addressed in community-based structures, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, remain poorly understood, especially from the Stakeholder perspective. Stakeholders, such as faith leaders and members of community-based organizations, engage in regular negotiations to advance health equity in their communities by partnering and collaborating with older adults and their families as well as other local and federal organizations. The Stakeholder Engagement in Aging Research and Community Health (SEARCH) Study employs multiple research methods to illuminate Stakeholders’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators to healthy aging in diverse communities. This presentation highlights findings from in-depth, qualitative interviews with Stakeholders (N=37) serving African American, Latinx, and South Asian older adults. Emergent themes suggest that systemic racism, stigmatization, limited health literacy, and cultural beliefs serve as barriers to healthy aging across groups. Within groups, Stakeholders report precarious immigration status and fragile and fragmented life situations as barriers among Latinx older adults, while acculturative stress presents a challenge to healthy aging in South Asian older adults. Food insecurity and neighborhood factors such as exposure to violence and socio-economic disadvantages act as barriers among African American older adults. Conversely, religious faith and spirituality, familial support, and culturally-congruent care serve as facilitators across groups. The findings from this study underscore the continued need for intersectional, inclusive, and culturally-informed approaches to supporting healthy aging within diverse communities.

Do sales models influence the purchase and use of ceramic filters in rural areas of Kenya and Bolivia?

Demand for safe water, as well as access to adequate and affordable products for drinking water treatment, is key for household water treatment (HWT) in low-income countries. Critical barriers, particularly in rural areas, are the lack of adequate marketing and sales models and the challenge of setting up distribution channels that reach low-income customers, leading to the unavailability of HWT products. Trials with four different social marketing and sales models, involving local entrepreneurs, staff of a non-governmental organization (NGO), community health workers and members of community-based organizations, were conducted in Kenya and Bolivia to test which marketing and sales strategies, as well as which behavioural determinants, influence product purchase and water treatment practices in different local contexts. Selling filters through the water utility, a community-based enterprise, was a promising retail model in Kenya and in Bolivia. Most successful were sales done by a women9s group in Bolivia. We found that community education activities, independent of the stakeholder carrying out the activity, are an important element to create demand for water treatment products. Other factors influencing product purchase and practice are very context specific and include: the turbidity of water, risk perception, socio-economic status, social norms and emotional attributes.

Community-based electronic data collections for HIV prevention research with black/African-American men in the rural, Southern USA

In Florida, the HIV case rate among black men is five times that of white men; tailored HIV prevention interventions are lacking. Historical concerns regarding trust with public health venues and sharing sensitive information make face-to-face data collection with some rural, southern black men challenging. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of using audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASIs) by local community-based organization members to collect HIV-related information from black men in rural settings. We used logistic regression to estimate associations between using ACASI and participants' sociodemographic characteristics. Of 636 men approached, 586 (92.0%) participated, 479 (81.7%) never completed a computer survey, and 287 (71%) of those reporting a preference preferred ACASI for future data collections. Increased age, past computer use, and sharing a household with someone were significantly associated with ACASI feasibility and acceptability. Using ACASI with black men in rural settings is feasible for HIV intervention research and disparity-reducing goals.

Amplifying the Community Voice in Community–Academic Partnerships: A Summary of and Commentary on a Thematic Issue

This special issue of Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP), “Maximizing Community Contributions, Benefits, and Outcomes in Clinical and Translational Research,” seeks to advance the field of community-based health research by providing information, tools, and understanding of the accomplishments, best practices, and challenges that community and academic partners have experienced in their engagement with National Institutes of Health-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awardees (CTSAs) and other research entities.* Much of the editorial work has been performed by guest editors: a collaboration of academics and community-based partners who strived to publish papers that amplify community perspectives in clinical and translational research, including those involving participatory approaches with a wide range of communities, participants, settings, and geographic locations. The resulting special issue includes papers that cover a wide range of multidisciplinary topics that reflect collaborations across many diverse communities, CTSAs, and community-engaged practice-based research networks. Authored and co-authored by community partners, the papers often reflect the perspectives, experiences, contributions, and value that community partnerships add to the research enterprise. This issue advances novel ideas, evaluates the implementation and development of community– academic partnerships, and highlights best practices. The focus is on lessons learned from community engagement in health research that will strengthen the research enterprise while building community and academic capacity to engage effectively for the improvement of public health in our communities. The papers in this issue highlight the important concept of community-based participatory research (CBPR), which has varied definitions. CBPR is, however, generally used to describe qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research that is designed, planned, and conducted by and in collaboration with institution-based researchers and “community-based entities,” such as members of community-based organizations, public interest groups, and/or other associations. Investigations are on a topic or area of need identified by members of the community or by the researchers. 1–4 CBPR is also considered to be an approach to research that aims to use and develop knowledge, products, and outcomes that are mutually beneficial to researchers and community members. This issue features eleven papers in five categories: Community Perspective, Original Research, Theory and Methods, Workin-Progress & Lessons Learned, and Policy and Practice. In response to a national solicitation, 27 manuscripts were received. The guest editors sent the articles out for review to both community and academic reviewers. One guest editor was assigned to each manuscript and led a teleconference discussion of the manuscript with the rest of the guest editors and then worked with PCHP’s editor to give feedback to authors, almost always seeking to highlight the community’s perspective on the collaboration. Ultimately, nine manuscripts were rejected, seven were judged as less in concert with the goals of the special issue and were accepted with revision for a regular issue of PCHP, five were accepted for the special issue with minor revisions, and six were * The CTSA program of the National Institutes of Health provides infrastructure support to facilitate translational research, to promote the training and career development of translational researchers, and to develop innovative methods and technologies to strengthen translational research. Currently, 61 medical research institutions in 30 states and the District of Columbia participate in the program. Until recently, the program required that each CTSA explicitly include a community engagement component.

Factors Associated with HIV Status Disclosure to One’s Steady Sexual Partner in PLHIV in Morocco

The objective of the present study was to determine the factors independently associated with disclosure of seropositivity to one's steady sexual partner in people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are recipients of services provided by Association de Lutte Contre le Sida, a Moroccan community-based organization (CBO) working on AIDS response. Between May and October 2011, 300 PLHIV were interviewed about their sociodemographic and economic characteristics, their sexual life and disclosure of their serostatus to their friends, family and to their steady sexual partner. A weighted logistic regression was used to study factors associated with serostatus disclosure to one's steady sexual partner. We restricted the analysis to people who declared they had a steady sexual partner (n=124). Median age was 36years old, 56% were men and 62% declared that they had disclosed their serostatus to their steady sexual partner. The following factors were independently associated with disclosure: living with one's steady sexual partner [OR 95% CI: 9.85 (2.86-33.98)], having a higher living-standard index [2.06 (1.14-3.72)], regularly discussing HIV with friends [6.54 (1.07-39.77)] and CBO members [4.44 (1.27-15.53)], and having a higher social exclusion score [1.24 (1.07-1.44)]. Unemployment (as opposed to being a housewife) was negatively associated with disclosure [0.12 (0.02-0.87)]. Despite the potential positive effects for the prevention of HIV transmission and for adherence to HIV treatment, many PLHIV had not disclosed their serostatus to their steady sexual partner. Some factors shown here to be significantly associated with such disclosure will help in the development of future support interventions.

Getting actionable about community resilience: the Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience project.

Community resilience (CR)--ability to withstand and recover from a disaster--is a national policy expectation that challenges health departments to merge disaster preparedness and community health promotion and to build stronger partnerships with organizations outside government, yet guidance is limited. A baseline survey documented community resilience-building barriers and facilitators for health department and community-based organization (CBO) staff. Questions focused on CBO engagement, government-CBO partnerships, and community education. Most health department staff and CBO members devoted minimal time to community disaster preparedness though many serve populations that would benefit. Respondents observed limited CR activities to activate in a disaster. The findings highlighted opportunities for engaging communities in disaster preparedness and informed the development of a community action plan and toolkit.

P1-468 Towards a mode of collective construction of epidemiological knowledge

Several Latin-American authors (Breilh, Almeida Filho, Czeresnia, among others) and some Europeans (as Tognoni) argue critically about the ways of constructing knowledge in epidemiology. They coincide in pointing out the...

Individual and Ecological Assets and Thriving Among African American Adolescent Male Gang and Community-Based Organization Members

The third wave of the Overcoming the Odds longitudinal study involves data about individual and ecological developmental assets and thriving among African American male adolescents in inner-city Detroit gangs (N = 43) or in youth development, communitybased organizations (CBO; N = 50). Both groups had comparable levels of either low or high assets across the three waves. Stability in asset levels was not related to either of two measures of thriving or to a second measure of assets. The CBO youth had higher thriving and asset scores. More so for gang youth than CBO youth, there was evidence that asset and thriving scores were interrelated within this wave. Program and policy implications of these group differences are discussed.

University-Community Partnership Centers

In academic settings, community research, and the service that goes along with it, is often not valued as much as other methods of research. The more qualitative and labor intensive nature of applied research often raises concerns about whether pre-tenured faculty can publish the sufficient quantity and quality of work necessary to achieve tenure. This paper describes successful collaborations through a university-based Community Partnership Center with members of community-based organizations in low-income inner-city neighborhoods, social work students, and faculty. Two case examples illustrate the co-authors' involvement with the Center as pre-tenured faculty. The article outlines the challenges and benefits of involvement with an established center for university-community partnerships. With careful planning and coordination, such centers can be excellent vehicles through which to achieve important mutual benefits for community-based organizations, student learning, and faculty responsibilities in research, teaching and service.