Pre-existing Community Research Articles

Mi’kmaw-Owned Partnership in Clearwater Seafoods

The keynote presentation at the 2023 Cando Annual Conference focused on telling the story of the acquisition of Clearwater Seafoods by the Mi'kmaw Consortium and Premium Brand Seafoods. It highlighted a Mi’kmaw corporate perspective of the acquisition, co-presented Mike McIntyre, Membertou CFO, Jenny Morgan, Clearwater Seafoods LP, Darryl McDonald, CAO Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation. This lesson from experience submission is a summary of their presentation which focused on three core aspects of the deal. First was the messaging around building business relationships. The endeavor was only possible because Membertou had a reputation for being community minded, trustworthy, and professional. Second, the deal was crafted to minimize risk to pre-existing community assets the deal would not hurt the borrowing potential of the coalition communities in the near or distant future. Finally, the presentation highlighted the opportunities for Clearwater to expand through strategic innovation. Although Premium Brands was not represented in the presentation, the explanation of their role in the partnership highlights the potential for strategic innovation in the future.

Sabotaging ordoliberal communitarianism: for a critical discursive political economy of ‘the local community’ in neoliberal Europe

The commentary aims to provoke a discussion in Critical Political Economy (CPE) about local articulations of neoliberalism, proposing the concept of ordoliberal communitarianism as a theoretical practice to sabotage the hegemonic essentialisation of ‘the local community’ within the context of EU neoliberal constitutionalism. This conceptual proposal is a plea to critical scholars who assume a pre-existing local community to instead enquire from whom, how and why the necessity of appealing to ‘the local community’ emerges to strategically essentialise socio-historically contingent political forms. To support this argument, I first discuss the relationship between ‘the community’ and the global political economy by combining sociology of knowledge, CPE and governmentality studies. This discussion leads to a consideration of ordoliberal communitarianism as produced by and through dominant institutions and translating hegemonic concepts in and through local contexts. As an indicative case emerging from research on the interpellation of local communities in the current Italian competitive strategy, I offer some notes for a history of Italian ordoliberal communitarianism as a transnational socio-historical experience to investigate the formation of local developmental coalitions led by EU governance. The commentary concludes by recalling the role of critical scholars in semantically sabotaging the hegemonic essentialisation of ‘the local community’.

The Co-Production, Pilot and Qualitative Evaluation of a Cancer Prevention Programme With High-Risk Women Delivered on Group Walks by Cancer Champions: Shoulder to Shoulder, Walk and Talk.

Women in the criminal justice system and women who have been subject to domestic abuse are at high risk of cancer but underrepresented in health promotion research. We aimed to co-produce, pilotand evaluate a health promoting programme delivered on group walks. A programme co-produced by women, based on motivational interviewing, created the opportunity for supportive conversations about cancer prevention. Programme development in two workshops with women with lived experience using authentic vignettes to prompt help-seeking conversations. A small pilot and a qualitative evaluation was done using framework analysis. The programme appeared acceptable to women and the walk leaders. Women felt included and found it a safe space for sensitive conversations. They appeared empowered and more confident to seek help. Walk leaders expressed confidence in delivering this informal programme, which used prompts rather than delivering didactic training. Cancer prevention for high-risk groups can be delivered in a personalised and novel way by creating informal opportunities for supportive conversations about cancer prevention. Careful co-production of the programme of walks with women, using scenarios and quotes that were authentic vignettes, ensured that these came directly from the women's lived experience and enabled women to talk about change. Our findings indicate that this approach was practical, relevant and acceptable to them with some evidence of women feeling empowered to make informed decisions about their health. We recommend that future cancer prevention programmes for underrepresented groups take an asset-based approach by utilising pre-existing community organisations to increase reach and sustainability. Women with lived experience co-designed and tested the programme. Provisional findings were fed back to the women and the women's organisation that partnered with this research.

Book Review: Transnational patriotism in the Mediterranean, 1800–1850

This book has rightly won widespread praise. It traces the multi-sited regional emergence of nationalisms and thus avoids from the outset the internalism that so many histories of national movements fall into: explaining the emergence of nationalism from with the bosom of the pre-existing national community as it responded to its circumstances and challenges.

A43 MECHANISMS OF UNIQUE COLONIZATION DYNAMICS AND IMMUNE RESPONSES TO MURIBACULACEAE

Abstract Background Commercially available probiotics have a limited ability to alter the gut microbiome and establish within a pre-existing microbial community. Increases in osmolality, a condition prevalent in intestinal diseases, depletes the highly abundant bacterial family Muribaculaceae (Mb) from the gut microbiome in a mouse model of short-term osmotic laxative use. Excitingly, despite microbial community re-equilibration in its absence, Mb supersedes other bacterial colonizers to its original abundance if reintroduced, suggesting unique colonization attributes and a potential privileged immune interaction. Aims We aimed to investigate whether and how Mb colonization affects intestinal innate and adaptive immune homeostasis, including the generation of Mb-specific antibodies. Methods To examine interactions between Mb and the immune system that allows for efficient colonization, we used the osmotic laxative polyethylene glycol (PEG) to clear Mb and then generated mice with complex microbiomes that either lack Mb completely (Mb naïve) or were introduced to 8 murine-derived Mb strains (Mb+). The same strains were then introduced to Mb naïve mice (primary exposure to the immune system). To model secondary exposure, Mb+ mice were treated with PEG, and Mb re-introduced 3 weeks later. Leukocytes from the small and large intestinal lamina propria and gut-draining mesenteric lymph nodes (mLNs) were profiled over 21 days to characterize colonization and recolonization dynamics. Results High-throughput 16SrRNA sequencing showed no significant difference between relative abundance of Mb isolates during colonization or recolonization, indicating that Mb is capable of establishing in mice that have never been colonized with it before, making up to 20% of the relative abundance. Broad immunophenotyping demonstrated robust CD11b-CD103+ dendritic cell and Germinal Centre B cell responses in the mLNs of mice seeing Mb for the first time, yet no subsequent plasmablast accumulation in the mLN or lamina propria. We also observed significantly increased type two innate lymphoid cells in the small intestine upon primary exposure to Mb. Recolonization elicited no detectable changes in the monitored populations. Conclusions The lack of immune reactivity upon reintroduction to Mb suggests Mb may evade immune detection upon repeat exposure and contribute to its robust colonization abilities. Determining mechanisms involved in Mb colonization and its impact on host immune responses could increase our understanding of colonization dynamics and highlights the potential of Mb as a model for microbiota reintroduction in therapeutic applications. Funding Agencies Weston Family Foundation

1758 Front door frailty team reviews of care home residents in a North Wales District General Hospital

Abstract Introduction Care home residents are increasingly presenting to hospitals. In October 2022, a frailty team was formed in our district general hospital, consisting of two SHOs, one SpR and one consultant, with support from pre-existing care home ANP and community resource team (CRT). Focusing on patients presenting to the Emergency Department, their aims were early identification of care home residents in order to optimise their care by facilitating discharge, tackling polypharmacy and seizing opportunities for advanced care planning. Method Care home residents were highlighted on the ED clinical system, using a unique icon, and reviewed by the frailty team. Anonymised patient statistics were logged into a bespoke e-database. This generated a dashboard of graphs showing trends in outcomes. The statistics from the first 8 months (3/10/22 to 5/6/23) were utilised to show patient demographics, number of reviews and rates of discharge. Results 297 care home residents were reviewed. 83.8% of these patients had a Rockwood Clinical Frailty Score of ≥ 7. Delirium was present in 91 (30.6%) patients. 121 (40.7%) had at least 1 medication stopped. 165 (55.6%) were discharged after frailty review. Do not resuscitate forms were completed for 208 (70.0%) patients. Advanced Care Planning was discussed with 138 (46.5%) patients and 6 (2.0%) patients were not for re-admission. End of life care was commenced for 17 (5.7%) patients. Conclusion It is clear that patients attending the Emergency Department would benefit from an early comprehensive geriatric assessment. The benefits this has provided in one North Wales DGH are significant and have made strides in reducing unnecessary admissions, reducing polypharmacy and providing holistic, interdisciplinary and patient centred care including advanced care planning. Whilst the Emergency Department is not an ideal environment for this, the team have demonstrated the benefits to this model.

CONNECTING THE HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE THROUGH A VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for online and virtual educational opportunities and resources. While many healthcare organizations, hospitals and academic medical institutions were forced to quickly pivot from face-to-face training modalities, the Virtual Learning Community (VLC) of the Geriatric Scholars Program, was ahead of the curve. Established in 2014 by the VA Geriatric Scholars Program and the VHA’s Office of Rural Health, the VLC is the primary outlet for information on geriatrics and gerontology for healthcare professionals and staff. The VLC provides webinars, discussion forums, case studies, continuing education accredited programs, and resource materials on a myriad of topics related to aging. During the pandemic, the VLC provided up-to-date information on COVID and continued to augment its virtual offerings, which was vital to providers and staff working remotely. The VLC currently has approximately 5,000 registered users, with 1700 users registering since the pandemic began in March 2020. Many of these users come from rural and highly rural areas, where there is often a lack of geriatric knowledge and expertise. The presentation will present findings about the connections and impact made possible by a pre-existing web-based virtual learning community.

Abstract A045: Adhering to a culturally responsive framework: Integrating kinship into a multilevel community-based intervention for American Indian adults with comorbid type 2 diabetes and cancer

Abstract The prolific disparities of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cancer in tribal communities is well documented. American Indian (AI) adults living with T2D are at greater risk of not only developing cancer, but also dying from it, with cooccurrence becoming increasingly prevalent. On rural tribal reservations, common environmental diabetogenic factors (e.g., obesity, lack of physical activity, poor diet, and stress) are considered as sources of elevated risk for both T2D and cancer. Critically important in improving both diabetes and cancer-related health behaviors and outcomes, particularly for AI people, is psychosocial support from family and community ties (e.g., kinship). Despite supporting evidence, few interventions include kinship as a key factor to promote best outcomes for T2D management among AI adults with a dual diagnosis of cancer. To address this growing issue, there is an urgent need for culturally and contextually adapted interventions aiming to address the cooccurrence of T2D and cancer that are, ideally, led by tribal communities. In this session, healthcare professional Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs), some of whom also identify as AI, will present community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles used to develop a multilevel Tribally tailored intervention, with kinship as a moderating factor, for AI adults living with both T2D and cancer. The ESIs represent a unique pool of providers invested in the community within which they work by co-creating an intervention which utilizes pre-existing strong community and familial norms. The ESIs further look to break away from the common trend in research to overgeneralize interventions and findings to all AI Tribal communities by tailoring the intervention to each specific Tribal Community engaged in the research intervention. To foster innovative research methods by emphasizing important historic and socio-cultural influences relevant to understanding the holistic context of health disparities in tribal communities, the guiding framework is the NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework adapted for AI and Alaska Native Nations. In this research, individuals are viewed within the context of the broader social system where they function daily, while families and community are key stakeholders and leaders in the successful management of T2D and cancer. The approach focuses on diabetes-related barriers by providing family and social units with skills for successful T2D and cancer management, healthy communication, and shared commitment. In addition to these domains of influence, involving community systems is critical for a sustainable intervention that effectively addresses health disparities for T2D and cancer. Citation Format: Sheila L. Hammer, Timian M. Godfrey. Adhering to a culturally responsive framework: Integrating kinship into a multilevel community-based intervention for American Indian adults with comorbid type 2 diabetes and cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A045.

Entrepreneurship Lock and the Demand for Health Insurance: Evidence from the US Affordable Care Act

Most US workers have health insurance plans sponsored and subsidized by their employers. The US Affordable Care Act (ACA) improved and expanded the availability of non-employer-based health insurance, with protections for pre-existing conditions, guaranteed issue, and community rating in non-group markets. Using National Health Interview Survey data for 2009 to 2018 and a difference-in-differences modeling approach, this study finds that the ACA increased self-employment in 2015 and 2016 among US adults with higher demand for health insurance. The probability of self-employment increased by 1.4 to 1.8 percentage points among adults ages 30 to 64 with at least one pre-ACA declinable condition and no alternative source of health insurance through a spouse’s employer or public programs. However, these effects were short-lived. As uncertainty about the long-term viability of the ACA’s health insurance exchanges increased in 2017 and 2018, the probability of self-employment among individuals with high demand for insurance fell to pre-ACA levels.

Parents of Gender Diverse Youth: Support Sought, Received, and Still Needed

PurposeGender diverse youth (GDY) have improved mental health when affirmed by parents, but little is known about the support parents of GDY seek, receive, and still need. This qualitative study explored experiences of parents of GDY to better understand their support needs. MethodsParents of GDY submitted videos and were interviewed about their journey supporting their GDY. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Audio recordings from videos and interviews were transcribed and analyzed via an inductive thematic analysis using the rigorous and accelerated data reduction technique. ResultsIn total, 25 parents of GDY (mean age 15 years, range 6–21 years) from 12 states provided video recordings and interviews; 36% were People of Color and 28% were fathers. We identified four themes and 12 subthemes. Theme 1: support through education included acknowledging ignorance about gender diversity and remedying ignorance. Theme 2: engaging community noted that support was multilayered and based around the family unit and pre-existing community. Theme 3: expanding community included acknowledgement that seeking new community was important for many to reduce feelings of isolation. It also highlighted that “safe spaces” for parents of GDY were not always safe for those of other marginalized groups, particularly People of Color. Theme 4: support in healthcare spaces centered experiences navigating medical and mental healthcare for GDY and feeling supported and unsupported in those spaces. DiscussionParents identified numerous ways they sought, received, and needed support to understand and affirm their GDY. These findings will aid development of targeted support interventions for parents of GDY. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of these interventions on GDY health.

Making Progress Through Disagreement: Meeting Residents Where They Are on Climate Change

Abstract While Americans do not agree about climate change, what to do to overcome this disagreement is a topic of debate. Climate communications researchers warn that messaging must overcome the challenges of communicating scientific information to lay audiences, the uncertainty of scientific predictions, and the massive scale of climate change to be effective at mobilizing a population. Such work focuses on “top-down” communication of what the scientific reality of climate change requires of citizens: how to get them in line with what needs to happen to prevent catastrophic change. In this article, I document how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based climate organizations (CBOs) make progress on climate action by dialoguing with their constituents and building on preexisting community connections. I argue that, instead of focusing on achieving climate consensus, these organizations rely on narratives around the local experience of environmental disruption to mobilize communities.

Las Voces de Mujercitas Empoderadas: Documenting Support for Youth with Youth Participatory Action Research

Youth participatory action research (YPAR) is a critical approach that engages youth as collaborative partners in research. It acknowledges the unique expertise that youth have on the adversities and assets that are present in their familiar systems, such as schools and the community. These projects are often designed to identify and address community problems; however, our projects with local youth aimed to shed light on a pre-existing community asset, Salud y Cariño, an after-school community organization, and a particular moment in time, namely the pandemic shelter-in-place. The mission and epistemologies of the organization set forth by the co-founder and Executive Director informed our partnership and guided our approach to this work. Utilizing qualitative methodologies, the authors (a faculty member, two graduate students, co-founder and director of a local non-profit, and a high school senior) collaboratively designed and implemented an interview-style documentary and photovoice projects, which garnered testimonies on participants’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding school and the community organization. By centering the perspectives of participating Latinx girls and non-binary youth, we demonstrate the effects of this local community organization on its participants during and after the COVID lockdown, and what it means to the youth they serve. The identified themes associated with program participation during this time include the following: (1) building community and a family, (2) creating a welcoming safe space, and (3) infusing love and happiness into everyday activities. We conclude by reflecting on the process of building these collaborative projects and their implementation. Our reflections and findings contribute new insights into utilizing YPAR approaches to research and showcase leading community assets and actors.

Evaluating a Campus Food Pantry’s Potential Impact on Nutrition Security using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework

BackgroundCampus food pantries are uniquely positioned to promote health equity with the foods they make accessible to food-insecure students. ObjectivesThis study assessed the implementation and effectiveness of a client-choice campus food pantry to understand its potential impact on nutrition security and to inform future implementation. MethodsThis observational study was designed using the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance framework, leveraging administrative data collected from a client-choice campus food pantry at a large Midwest university from August 2020 to May 2022. Pantry staff tracked student usage and item inventory. Items were analyzed for specific nutrients using the Nutrition Data System for Research. The mean nutrients and servings per food group distributed per visit were calculated and compared with dietary recommendations (effectiveness). Characteristics of pantry operation and setup were detailed (adoption). The percentage of openings with adequate stock to meet distribution guidelines was determined (implementation). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and multiple linear regressions determined whether significant changes in nutrients and food were distributed based on distribution guidelines and stock available. ResultsEffectiveness: Vitamin D, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were below 3 d of the recommended intake for all students, and energy, fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and grains were low for male students. Adoption: The pantry was established through a collaboration with a pre-existing community food pantry and operates as a 501(c) and is managed by campus recreation staff. Implementation: The pantry supplied enough produce for 72% of openings to meet distribution guidelines and enough dairy for 63% of openings. ConclusionsThe food and nutrients distributed in limited amounts are consistent with those underconsumed according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. More research is needed to understand how pantry implementation can best support nutrition security through the adequate distribution of key nutrients and food groups.

Feasibility and acceptability of at-home play kits for middle school physical activity promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundSchools are central to providing opportunities for youth physical activity (PA), however such opportunities were limited during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying feasible, acceptable, and effective approaches for school-based PA promotion amid pandemic-related barriers can inform resource allocation efforts in future circumstances necessitating remote instruction. The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the pragmatic, stakeholder-engaged and theory-informed approach employed to adapt one school’s PA promotion efforts to pandemic restrictions, leading to the creation of at-home “play kits” for students, and (2) assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of this intervention.MethodsIntervention activities occurred in one middle school (enrollment: 847) located in a Federal Opportunity Zone in the Seattle, WA area, with control data from a nearby middle school (enrollment: 640). Students at the intervention school were eligible to receive a play kit during the quarter they were enrolled in physical education (PE) class. Student surveys were completed across the school year (n = 1076), with a primary outcome of days/week that the student engaged in ≥ 60 min of PA. Qualitative interviews (n = 25) were conducted with students, staff, parents, and community partners, and focused on play kit acceptability and feasibility.ResultsDuring remote learning play kits were received by 58% of eligible students. Among students at the intervention school only, students actively enrolled in PE (versus not enrolled) reported significantly more days with ≥ 60 min of PA in the previous week, however the comparison between schools was not statistically significant. In qualitative interviews, most students reported the play kit motivated them to participate in PA, gave them activity ideas, and made virtual PE more enjoyable. Student-reported barriers to using play kits included space (indoors and outdoors), requirements to be quiet at home, necessary but unavailable adult supervision, lack of companions to play outdoors, and inclement weather.ConclusionsA pre-existing community organization-school partnership lent itself to a rapid response to meet student needs at a time when school staff and resources were highly constrained. The intervention developed through this collaborative response—play kits—has potential to support middle school PA during future pandemics or other conditions that necessitate remote schooling, however modifications to the intervention concept and implementation strategy may be needed to improve reach and effectiveness.

Study on cultural representations in mental health and psychosocial support in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo

IntroductionIn the Ituri region of eastern DRC, Djugu territory has been the epicenter of violent clashes in 2020 and significant displacement since 2017. An initial assessment conducted by Action Contre la Faim (ACF) in January 2021 showed a significant level of psychological distress among 85% of respondents. Following this finding, an emergency response was proposed with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the psychological state of men, women, boys and girls affected by displacement and conflict while strengthening their psychological resilience. As part of this response, prior to the intervention, the NGO conducted a study on the representations of mental health and psychosocial needs as well as locally existing support mechanisms.ObjectivesThe study aimed to better understand the cultural dimension of the perception of mental health and psychological suffering as well as the use of traditional care or support systems. This will allow for better adaptation of clinical approaches to psychosocial intervention as well as the identification of risks incurred by communities in the context of mental health programming, in a context of inter-community tensions, and the development of mitigation measures, co-constructed with the targeted communities.MethodsAn analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the local perception of mental health issues and pre-existing community support mechanisms was conducted using a mixed methodology. A quantitative approach was used to estimate the prevalence of psychological/psychiatric pathologies present in the intervention area and relate it to known data in the country. This was complemented by qualitative data collection including semi-structured interviews with key informants and focus group discussions with community members (adult men and women) as well as health workers, legal and customary authorities, religious leaders, community leaders, traditional practitioners, humanitarian actors, etc.Results12 interviews, 8 focus group discussions and 316 questionnaires confirmed the high rates of distress in the community surveyed.The cultural representations of mental suffering were better understood (i.e. the origin of suffering and mental illness is exogenous and a spiritual cause is often evoked: witchcraft, curse, divine punishment). Resilience factors (the most resilient would be children and women) and local support mechanisms have been identified, notably in religious leaders.A very strong group cohesion and solidarity was highlighted.ConclusionsThis study helped to understand the issues related to a mental health care and psychosocial support proposal. This type of study is fundamental to culturally adapting care in humanitarian aid contexts. Concrete details of adaptation will be presented as an example.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Community Dynamics and Engagement Strategies in Establishing Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance Systems: A Multi-Site Report from India.

Six diverse Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance System (DDESS) sites were established in urban slum, urban resettlement, peri-urban, rural, and tribal areas located in Northern, North-East, Eastern, and Southern regions of India from June 2020 to March 2022. Understanding the community dynamics and engaging people in the community is critically important in the process of establishing DDESS. We ascertained the barriers, challenges, and facilitators during the establishment of multiple DDESS sites across India. This was a cross-sectional descriptive mixed-methods study. Multiple barriers and challenges encountered were reported in the process of community engagement (CE), such as geographical inaccessibility, language barriers, adverse weather, non-responsiveness due to perceived lack of individual benefit or financial gain, fear of contracting COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, etc. Facilitators in the CE process were pre-existing links with the community, constitution of community advisory boards, community need assessment, concomitant delivery of outreach health services, and skill-building facilities. Most community barriers in the development of DDESS sites in resource-limited settings can be overcome through a multipronged approach, including effective community engagement by focusing on demonstrating trust at the local level, enlisting community mobilization and support, utilizing pre-existing community linkages, initiating community diagnosis, and meeting perceived community health needs.

When Government Is Not the Solution: The Role of Community Organizations in Outreach

Trust between government entities and the public is critical; without it, communities become paralyzed in their ability to act collectively and for the greater good. Establishing and maintaining this trust, however, can be difficult. The outreach and coproduction performed by the coalition of organizations described in this article provide examples of how to address several interrelated problems of public distrust in the government. When viewed in their proper light, these examples enrich the theoretical understanding of contract failure theory. Rather than take advantage of their advantages in power, governments increasingly leverage the power of reciprocity to accomplish their goals by relying on preexisting community trust in nonprofits. Self-interest well understood is a critical component of this reciprocal relationship: it works best when government secures resources, funding, and access to policy processes, in return for nonprofit resources such as service delivery, political support, buy-in, and legitimacy. In this indirect way, nonprofit coproduction can help to foster perceptions of legitimacy and trust in government.

Embedding research codesign knowledge and practice: Learnings from researchers in a new research institute in Australia

BackgroundResearch codesign is generally defined as end-users’ involvement in planning, implementation, and evaluation of projects. Recently, there has been a growing interest in codesign to maximise research acceptability, applicability, and impact and to address longstanding issues around power and depth of involvement. Frameworks have been developed to assist in understanding research codesign processes at a project level. However, little is known about how university based researchers construct or adopt a coherent approach to sustain research codesign in governance, methodological approaches, and practice. This study investigated the perspectives of researchers within a newly formed research institute about principles and practices of research codesign in the context of their previous and current projects. We also investigated their perceptions of institution-level enablers and barriers to codesign. University based researchers are our primary focus here and we intend to consult other stakeholders in future work.MethodsUsing an interview guide informed by exploratory work and a scoping review of the literature, we conducted 15 individual interviews with Caring Futures Institute (CFI) leaders and researchers at different career stages working across multiple areas of health, care, and social research. Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted.ResultsThe researchers we interviewed were involved in projects ranging from large nationally funded projects to small studies funded by the university or PhD projects. Research codesign activities were generally part of larger researcher-led projects but there were a few examples of community-led projects. There was agreement amongst participants on the principles and perceived benefits of research codesign such as partnership, co-learning, and power sharing. Less agreement was found regarding the definition of research codesign and best terminology to be used. Themes reflecting the success of research codesign included pre-existing community relationships, communication skills, knowledge, and training on codesign, balancing power relationships, use of external facilitators, and adequacy of funding, time, and resources.ConclusionsThe study reaffirmed the complexity of research codesign from researchers’ perspectives and identified areas of potential action that may be beneficial for university based research institutions in building codesign skills, capacity and culture for example training, peer learning and funding support. Implications for practice improvement centre on a dual strategy of building practical capacity in researchers and integrating institutional dimensions (such as governance and leadership) into codesign frameworks. This can help to ensure research codesign is integrated into organisational culture and through the work of individual researchers.

Lessons Learned From Conducting Community-Based Research on HIV Prevention With Youth During COVID-19.

Mitigating HIV burden among Black youth requires true community engagement. This brief report identifies challenges, strategies, and lessons learned from transitioning our three-phased, community-engaged HIV prevention project with Black youth to a remote format during COVID-19. The project involved (1) building a community-academic partnership on youth sexual health, (2) participatory youth workshops, and (3) youth surveys and interviews about HIV prevention. Feedback from community-academic partnership, pile sorting themes, and preliminary qualitative analyses guided this report. Challenges included a disruption to in-person engagement while strategies included relying heavily on pre-existing partnerships to recruit youth for interviews. We learned that pre-existing community engagement was essential for completing phase three remotely. More education is needed to support Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness for HIV prevention and there is a need to address structural barriers to healthcare engagement such as community violence and mental illness. Community-engaged HIV research focused on youth can adapt if anchored in community relationships. Future studies must work to more fully center youth's voices and address the structural issues that may inhibit them from engaging in HIV prevention.

The Impact of a Canadian Model of Aging in Place on Community Dwelling Older Adults' Experience of Physical Distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) are unplanned communities with a high proportion of residents aged 65 years and older. Oasis is a Canadian aging in place model that combines health and supportive community services for adults aged 65 years and older within NORCs. The aims of this study were to explore how physical distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted older adults living in a NORC (Oasis members) and to investigate whether Oasis served as a context for social connection and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. An interpretive description methodology guided this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine Oasis members (aged 66–77 years) and two Oasis site coordinators. The Oasis members also completed a social network mapping activity guided by the hierarchical mapping technique. Three overarching themes related to the impact of physical distancing on Oasis members during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified: (1) unintended consequences of physical distancing restrictions on participants’ wellbeing; (2) face-to-face interactions are important for social connection; and (3) family, friend, healthcare provider, and community support mitigated the impact of physical distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, two of Oasis’ core pillars were found to support participants: strengthening social connectivity and connection to pre-existing community services. Findings illustrate that community programs like Oasis acted as a source of resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and advance our understanding of the impact of aging in place models on community dwelling older adults’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.