Community Relations Research Articles

Building trust in rural communities: recruitment and retention strategies in developmental science

BackgroundStudying human development often requires intimate interpersonal queries and interactions with children and families. Such research necessitates moving beyond traditional lab settings to engage participants within their communities for an extended period of time. Building trust is essential for conducting ecologically valid, longitudinal research, particularly when working with diverse and historically underserved populations. Developing effective, practical strategies to foster trust and rapport enhances recruitment, retention, and the overall quality of developmental research. This manuscript examines the recruitment and retention strategies aimed to facilitate trust and engagement in a longitudinal study involving rural participants in Northeast Georgia.MethodologyThe continuum of community engagement model suggests that research recruitment efforts should involve more than direct participant outreach, toward a multifaceted, community-driven approach. The current study employs a mixed-methods framework to evaluate these strategies in fostering trust and participant engagement. Qualitative data was collected from study reflection notes, interviews with extension agents, and participant surveys, alongside quantitative measures tracking enrollment, contacts, referrals, and participant trust.ResultsOur findings suggest that trust-building efforts, including community engagement teams, reciprocal community relationships, family and family-centered environments, and tailored communication strategies, enhanced participant engagement. Referrals emerged as the most effective method for recruitment. Integrating community-driven recruitment methods led to increased referrals and fostered long-term relationships and trust with community partners, but this success was only achieved after establishing connections and building trust within the community.ConclusionAddressing historical mistrust and promoting research inclusivity requires iterative, community-centered approaches. Our study highlights the importance of transparent communication, adaptive recruitment strategies, and sustained community engagement. Findings provide a framework for future research aiming to enhance trust, recruitment, and retention in complex biomedical and behavioral developmental science, ensuring more representative and impactful studies.

Multidimensional Analysis of Well-Being Domains in Japan: Fulfillment, Importance, and Contribution to Overall Well-Being

Efforts to measure citizen Well-Being (WB) and integrate the results into policymaking have gained momentum globally. In this study, we evaluate the domains comprising WB indicators based on three dimensions—fulfillment, importance, and contribution to overall WB—to effectively apply these findings to policies and urban development strategies. An online survey of 1394 Japanese adults (630 women, 764 men) was conducted to analyze the rankings of the 24 domains (comprising 46 items) of the Liveable Well-being City indicator, a widely used framework in Japan, across these three dimensions. The analysis revealed that items in domains related to Life Environment ranked highest regarding fulfillment, whereas domains related to Living Authentically or Life Environment ranked highest in importance. Meanwhile, items in the domains associated with Community Relationships or Living Authentically tended to rank higher in contribution to overall WB; however, this was not statistically significant. These results suggest inconsistencies in evaluation across dimensions and highlight the necessity of incorporating three-dimensional evaluations into policymaking and policy improvement. Furthermore, the findings indicate that strategies targeting Community Relationships could be particularly effective in enhancing WB and providing actionable policy design and implementation guidance.

Folkloric perspectives of spiritual essence (k̄hwạỵ) in Northeastern Thailand

This study examines the belief in "k̄hwạỵ" (spirit essence) in Northeastern Thailand, analyzing its significance through folkloric perspectives. The researcher uses an emic approach that involves a structural analysis concerned with understanding the internal cultural framework of a specific society, wherein researchers draw on indigenous sources and cultural informants to identify constructs that are unique to that culture's worldview and belief system. The research examines two traditional ceremonies: the Bāyṣ̄rī s̄ū̀ K̄hwạỵ and S̄̀xn k̄hwạỵ which represent fundamental spiritual practices in the region. Through qualitative research methodology, including in-depth interviews with ritual practitioners and participant observation, this study investigates how these ceremonies manifest across three dimensions: individual, social, and supernatural. The research reveals that the concept of spiritual essence remains deeply integrated into Northeastern Thai culture, particularly in rural communities. These beliefs serve as mechanisms for psychological support, social cohesion, and cultural preservation. The ceremonies demonstrate remarkable adaptability, evolving to accommodate contemporary contexts while maintaining their traditional significance, as evidenced by their incorporation into modern institutions and practices. The findings indicate that spirit essence beliefs continue to influence daily life, decision-making processes, and social interactions. Despite modernization, these beliefs persist as vital components of Northeastern Thai cultural identity, functioning as sophisticated systems for managing uncertainty, maintaining psychological well-being, and fostering community relationships. This research contributes to understanding the role of traditional spiritual beliefs in contemporary society and their significance in preserving cultural heritage.

Analisis Kepribadian Muslim Terbaik pada Film Animasi I’m the Best Muslim

Animated films as entertainment and educational media have strong potential in conveying moral messages and Islamic values. However, there are still few studies that specifically examine the representation of Muslim personality in animation media. This research aims to analyze the representation of the best Muslim personality in I'm The Best Muslim animation based on the perspective of Islamic psychology. This research uses descriptive qualitative method with content analysis approach. Data were collected from several episodes of the animation using an instrument in the form of a coding sheet prepared based on Muslim personality indicators according to Dr. Muhammad Uthman Najati, and validated by two experts (coders). The data analysis technique refers to the Miles, Huberman, and Saldana model, which includes the stages of data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results show that from a total of 19 statements of the best Muslim personality found, the worship aspect is the most dominant category (52.63%), followed by the community relations aspect (31.58%), emotional and compassion aspect (10.52%), and physical aspect (5.26%). The existence of this animation not only serves as a means of entertainment, but also contributes positively in shaping the ideal Muslim character, making it an alternative media in Islamic character education.

"We have a good neighbor policy": How street vendors access (or not) water and toilets.

"We have a good neighbor policy": How street vendors access (or not) water and toilets.

Soil microbial legacies and drought mediate diversity-invasibility relationships in non-native communities.

High native species diversity generally suppresses non-native invasions, but many ecosystems are now characterized by non-native assemblages that vary in species diversity. How this non-native species diversity affects subsequent invaders and its environmental dependence remain unclear. We conducted a plant-soil feedback experiment. In the conditioning phase, we created three diversity levels (1, 2, or 4 species) using six non-native species to condition the soil. In the responding phase, we planted these six species individually with soil inocula and exposed them to two watering treatments (well-watered vs drought). Under well-watered conditions, the non-native biomass increased with soil inocula generated by different non-native diversity. This biomass pattern was mainly related to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal richness which increased with non-native species diversity. However, under drought conditions, the non-native biomass did not depend on soil inocula generated by non-native diversity. Our results reveal the crucial role of soil microbial legacies in driving the positive diversity-invasibility relationships of non-native communities and drought stress can eliminate these positive relationships. These findings provide an explanation for the commonly observed co-occurrence of multiple non-native species in nature, predicting an accelerating accumulation of non-native species in a benign environment, but not in a stressed environment.

Emotional Intelligence as a Shield Against Toxic Leadership

This article examines the relationship between toxic leadership and emotional intelligence (EI) in organizational settings. It explores how toxic leadership behaviors—characterized by narcissism, volatility, and self-interest—negatively impact employee wellbeing and organizational health, while emotional intelligence serves as a protective factor against such toxicity. The research demonstrates that leaders with high EI are less likely to exhibit toxic behaviors and better equipped to foster psychologically safe work environments. Through case studies across healthcare, business, and government sectors, the article illustrates how developing core EI competencies—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—can transform organizational cultures, improve team collaboration, and enhance overall performance. These real-world examples highlight how EI training and assessment can mitigate toxic tendencies, reduce turnover, strengthen community relations, and create more inclusive, productive work environments even during periods of significant change or stress.

When hate does not last: the evolution of brand schema in online communities

Purpose This paper aims to understand the dynamics underlying the transformation of brand schema in online communities through which consumers can transition from an anti-brand stance to a brand-neutral or brand-positive relationship. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, exploratory approach was used, involving in-depth interviews with 25 members of brand-friendly and brand-unfriendly online communities in the UK. The study focused on participants who transitioned from brand-unfriendly to brand-friendly communities. The data analysis had two phases: first, content analysis classified participants based on their brand relationship and engagement level, resulting in a taxonomy of online brand engagement. In the second phase, a data-driven coding scheme analyzed the arguments of participants who switched from brand-unfriendly to brand-friendly communities, using analytical bracketing to understand brand schema transformation through consumer justifications for brand forgiveness. Findings The authors document six distinct pathways for consumers to transition from an anti-brand stance to a brand-neutral or brand-positive relationship. These multiple pathways show the role of brand engagement experiences and the temporality in shaping brand schema transformation. Originality/value This study challenges the traditional view of brand schema as a static and stable construct, proposing instead that brand schema is dynamic and evolving. By integrating schema theory and the theory of social representations, it provides a novel theoretical framework, Collective Schema Dynamics, that uniquely captures the bidirectional processes through which individual mental structures and collective social meanings mutually constitute brand perceptions in networked environments. The identification of six pathways offers empirical understanding of the mechanisms shaping consumer-brand relationships in online communities. Additionally, the inductively derived taxonomy provides a thorough understanding of the heterogeneity of consumer beliefs and engagement forms, emphasizing the complexity of consumer interactions in brand relationships.

Local self-government digital transformation in the context of sustainable development: potential of artificial intelligence

This article analyzes contemporary trends and challenges in the digital transformation of local self-government within the landscape of sustainable development, focusing on the potential of AI-based solutions for municipal and rural territories. The scope of research is determined by the fact that digital technologies and their intensive development influence the formation of not only new processes in management, but also the management relations of authorities and the population, generating open integration interaction between them. An interpretive, pragmatic and critical literature review methodology is employed to synthesize existing knowledge and identify key themes with practical implications. The findings demonstrate that AI applications in sustainable local governance establish new standards for urban and rural development by providing novel solutions to old and developing difficulties. However, the analysis also reveals that no one-size-fits-all solution exists; instead, a thorough evaluation of local needs, cultural settings, and potential problems is required. Adaptive tactics, rigorous data governance, and strong community relationships are essential for successful implementation.

Beyond transformative community engagement: the evasion and contact zones of a European climate change project

ABSTRACT This paper argues that to understand how community engagement shapes relationships between Climate Change Projects (CCPs) and communities it is necessary to examine the social spaces of contact and evasion zones. In contrast to residual modernist perspectives on community engagement that tie in with assumptions about the linear and progressive relationship between transformations, knowledge and order, the social space of contact and evasion zones are better able to capture the complex, multiple and uncertain ways that community engagements reconfigure and entrench CCP and community relationships. To explore these dynamics the paper draws on ethnographic findings from a European Union (EU) Climate Change Project on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) to illustrate how the design, planning and implementation of two community events were shaped through frictional and generative contact zones and evasion zones characterised by disconnect, stagnation and homogeneity. We argue that the implications of these dynamics were multiple and contradictory. The content and format of the community events were generated through fractious contact zones between project members which helped facilitate community events that were controllable and minimised uncertainties. Whilst this depoliticised the events and reduced the opportunities for divergent views to be recognised, it also meant that community and CCP knowledges and relations remained static leaving project partners in the dark about community dynamics that might instigate future resistance and opposition to their activities. Furthermore, whilst these evasion zones excluded community diversity, they also allowed community members to evade potential adverse entanglements with project partners and local stakeholders.

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis of Complex Electromechanical Systems Based on Personalized Consensus in Heterogeneous Environment

ABSTRACTFailure mode effect analysis (FMEA) is a powerful reliability analysis tool for identifying and eliminating potential risks in complex electromechanical systems (CESs). However, due to the uncertainty of the decision‐making environment, processing heterogeneous risk information becomes a challenge. In addition, the consensus of the evaluation subjects (ESs) and the interaction of failure modes (FMs) is often easily overlooked. To address these challenges, we propose an improved FMEA method in heterogeneous environment based on personalized consensus. First, a heterogeneous house of reliability (H‐HoR) is proposed to identify multi‐source heterogeneous information. Second, a consensus model based on D‐S evidence theory is proposed to adjust the opinions of different acceptability individually. Meanwhile, an adaptive ES weight determination method based on individual characteristics and maximum consensus is proposed. Then, to avoid information loss, an improved hybrid method of ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité (ELECTRE) with Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) is proposed to rank FMs in heterogeneous environments. Furthermore, based on the extended K‐shell method, the interaction of FMEA in aspects of strength and community relationships is considered to obtain more accurate ranking results. Finally, the effectiveness and practicality can be verified from the case of an offshore wind turbine transmission system. This research has excellent accuracy and superiority and is expected to support integrated research on system reliability.

Description and evaluation of a national humanitarian opioid poisoning education and naloxone distribution program.

Canada's opioid poisoning crisis claimed 49,105 lives from January 2016 to June 2024. Opioid poisoning education and naloxone distribution programs can reduce fatalities, although access remains inconsistent across Canada. These programs have mostly been delivered in person through community, healthcare, and social service agencies. The Canadian Red Cross implemented a national, free, bilingual, virtually accessible, opioid harm reduction program, leveraging its experience in first aid education and community relationships as a humanitarian organization. The Opioid Harm Reduction program launched three new courses and added opioid poisoning content to four existing courses. Courses were adapted continually based on the feedback of people with lived experience of drug use and program participants. The program was delivered from January 2021 to March 2024 and evaluated through quantitative and qualitative methods. The program delivered 1,386,995 trainings and successfully reached diverse groups, including those from Indigenous (5.3%) and rural (25.2%) communities, but had an underrepresentation of men (34.3%) and individuals working in the construction industry (4.8%). Participants' self-reported knowledge and confidence in responding to opioid poisoning increased across all courses (p < 0.001), particularly for learners without prior training. In total, 24,098 intranasal naloxone kits were distributed, 60.4% to Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Most participant feedback (82%) received was positive, highlighting the course's simplicity and focus on stigma. The Canadian Red Cross Opioid Harm Reduction program advanced harm reduction, increased awareness of opioid poisonings, and situated the response to the opioid poisoning crisis as a community health effort.

Beyond denial: Police-recommended solutions to community policing challenges.

Policing has long constituted a public health crisis for Black communities in the United States, and continues to pose a profound threat to the safety and well-bein of community members, underscoring the need to more toward accountability and care. Many societal discourses plaguing the current zeitgeist include addressing what to do about policing. Obtaining perspectives from police personnel is beneficial to increasing understanding of these issues. The current study examined police perceptions of strained police-community relationships through individual interviews with 26 police personnel from a single large metropolitan US police agency. Over half (n = 18) of participants identified as sworn personnel (e.g., police with arrest powers like those working patrol or as a detective). Others (n = 8) identified as civilian or non-sworn personnel (e.g., forensic employees, analysts, instructors). Grounded theory was used to code data, resulting in three parent codes: Observed Policing Harms, Unhelpful Attitudes, and Recommendations for Police Reform. Personnel identified five factors contributing to observed policing harsh on members of the community: (1) policies that afford subjectivity in policing, (2) police culture, (3) training practices, (4) unaddressed police-community disconnect, and (5) police hiring and selection practices. Unhelpful attitudes included statements reflecting thinking patterns that might serve as barriers in promoting better police community relations. Three recommendations for police reform emerged: (1) humanize Black community members, (2) emphasize police mental health, and (3) use restorative justice practices in policing. Addressing the complex array of challenges outlined in this study requires multifaceted strategies that prioritize transparency, accountability, community-centered approaches, and significant cultural shifts within policing and law enforcement. Implementing these reforms is crucial in fostering trust, legitimacy, and mutually respectful and safe interactions and relationships between police agencies and the communities they police. These transformations hold the potential to propel us toward a model of restorative policing.

Crisis and connection among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study in Bangladesh through a social capital lens

ABSTRACT The global health emergency caused by COVID-19 affected student’s socioeconomic conditions and health worldwide. Public health restrictions changed students’ lifestyles, family and community relationships, and reliance on support systems. The COVID-19 pandemic mandated a shift to virtual learning. Students found themselves unprepared, anxious, and ambivalent. This study delved into the challenges students face and the coping strategies adopted by students at the university level in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study also strived to identify how social connectedness or social capital contributed to resilience building among students. Qualitative research was conducted using a case study approach. The study followed purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews to explore university-level students’ socioeconomic challenges and coping strategies. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study findings revealed various challenges students face, including socioeconomic crises, physical and mental health issues, and difficulties adapting to online education. The research examined three patterns of social capital – bonding, bridging, and linking – that students leveraged as key support mechanisms. These patterns assisted students in developing coping strategies and contributed to their resilience in overcoming challenges. Implications demonstrate further research on social connectivity’s importance in building resiliency against crisis.

Distribution and relationship of heavy metals, microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes in the riparian soils of Daye Lake, China.

Heavy metals pose ecological and resistome risks to aquatic systems. To comprehensively assess the health status of aquatic ecosystems, it is necessary to quantify the ecological risks of heavy metals in riparian soils and their associations with microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), yet related evidence was scarce. This study evaluated the potential ecological risk of heavy metal-contaminated riparian soils of Daye Lake, revealed the distribution of bacterial communities and ARGs by high-throughput sequencing techniques, and explored the association between heavy metals and bacterial communities and ARGs. The results showed that As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Se were the primary polluting metals in the riparian soils of Daye Lake. Microbial community analysis presented that Proteobacteria (31.5%), Actinobacteria (30.3%), and Acidobacteria (14.1%) appeared to be the top three prevalent phylums, and seven pathogenic genera were identified based on VFDB. Correlation analysis showed that 17 bacterial communities among the top 50 bacterial genera had significant negative associations with heavy metals (r < -0.5; P < 0.05), and 10 bacterial communities had significant positive associations with heavy metals (r > 0.5; P < 0.05), indicating that heavy metals could exert co-selection forces on the microbial community. ARGs analysis presented that vancomycin, multidrug, and aminoglycoside resistance genes were the dominant ARGs. The co-occurrence of ARGs, virulence factor genes (VFGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (r > 0.8; P < 0.05) suggested high transmission risk of ARGs in environments. The significant correlations of heavy metals and ARGs (P < 0.05), co-occurrence of the resistance genes (MRGs) and ARGs (r > 0.8; P < 0.05), and significant associations between the geochemical enrichment of heavy metals and ARGs (P < 0.05) consistently indicated important impacts of heavy metals on environmental resistome risks. This research firstly revealed the associations between heavy metals and microbial communities and ARGs in riparian soils, which offers valuable insights into risk prevention and pollution control of heavy metals in the environment.

800 Firefighter Burn Center Visits and the Benefit to Providers, Patients, and Firefighter Volunteers

Abstract Introduction Firefighter Burn Center (FBC) visits are an opportunity for firefighters to meet with inpatients, providers and ambulatory patients and families. At one burn center, 1-1.5 hour monthly FBC visits have occurred for several years. During these visits, firefighters engage with burn center personnel, patients and families, providing visitation, comradery, and gifting (e.g., goodie bags, toys, and refreshments). The aim of this project was to evaluate the perceived value of FBC visits and the partnership that has been created between the burn center and local fire departments. Methods Two surveys, guided by the National Association of County and City Health Official’s Partnership Evaluation Guide, were developed to understand the perceived value of FBC visits. Using an online URL link or QR code, surveys were sent to firefighters who visited a burn center and providers who experienced a visit in the past year. During a one-week evaluation period, respondents were asked to respond to multiple questions using a 5-point Likert evaluation scale. Surveys were designed to assess the value of the program with open-ended questions intended to capture perspectives and the ability for the program to build community partnerships. Respondent comments were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results 23 firefighters and 28 providers responded. Most firefighters strongly agreed that visits were meaningful personally (91.3%). Providers responded with 85.7% strongly agreed/agreed to the question, ‘The firefighter burn center visits have been beneficial for myself’. Providers also reported strong agreement (82.1%) that firefighter visits have been beneficial to patients, noting that visits have helped improve patients’ mood and engagement in their care. Thematic analysis revealed 3 common themes: Community relations - visits provide opportunities to build and maintain community connections; Job resiliency – interactions reinforced the “why” respondents chose their professions and continue to do their work; Need for program expansion – to include other shifts and other local hospitals. Firefighters also noted that visits provided an opportunity to learn about burn injury recovery. Conclusions This evaluation determined the existing FBC visit model has a positive impact on the local burn community with facilitation of building community relations between burn providers, patients, survivors and the firefighter community. Applicability of Research to Practice Other fire departments and burn centers can implement similar programs to build community, and support patients during recovery and aftercare. Funding for the Study N/A

North Carolina's FarmsSHARE: Farmers, Food Hubs, And Community-Based Organizations Sustain Healthy Food Programs.

The North Carolina FarmsSHARE program distributes healthy, locally sourced food to low-income households across nearly 100 counties in the state through the Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement. In this article, we present insights from a cross-sectional survey of stakeholders who were involved in implementing the program. We explore measures of satisfaction, perceived value, economic impact, quality of food, and community relationships within each stakeholder group (farmers, food hubs, and community-based organizations). We also discuss FarmsSHARE's impact on local farms, businesses, and food systems. In 2024, FarmsSHARE connected 217 local farms, 16 food hubs, and 117 community-based organizations that worked together to distribute more than 72,000 healthy food boxes. Our findings suggest that FarmsSHARE is strengthening collaborations and local food systems, specifically through partnerships with farms owned by members of racial and ethnic minority groups, and improving access to nutritionally tailored healthy food boxes for low-income households. These insights can be used to guide efforts to integrate local food within the Food Is Medicine paradigm to address nutrition insecurity and promote more equitable food systems within communities.

Diversity-disease relationships in natural microscopic nematode communities.

Host diversity can affect parasite prevalence, a phenomenon widely studied in macroscopic organisms. However, data from microscopic communities are lacking, despite their essential role in ecosystem functioning and the unique experimental opportunities microscopic organisms offer. Here, we study diversity-disease effects in wild nematode communities by profiting from the molecular tools available in the well-studied model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Nanopore sequencing was used to characterize nematode community diversity and composition, whereas parasites were identified using nine distinct experimental assays based on fluorescent staining or fluorescent reporter strains. Our results indicate that biotic stress is abundant in wild nematode communities. Moreover, in two assays, diversity-disease relations were observed: microsporidia and immune system activation were more often detected in relatively species-poor communities. Other assays, targeting different parasites, were without diversity-disease relations. Together, this study provides the first demonstration of diversity-disease effects in microbial communities and establishes the use of nematode communities as model systems to study disease-diversity relationships.

Precipitation changes alter the structure, species composition and interspecific relationships of desert steppe plant communities

Precipitation changes alter the structure, species composition and interspecific relationships of desert steppe plant communities

Classifying schizophrenia using functional MRI and investigating underlying functional phenomena.

Classifying schizophrenia using functional MRI and investigating underlying functional phenomena.