Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #150602

• Slides (pdf) or Handout

Giselle Corbie-Smith, MD, MSc¹, Melvin Muhammad, AA², Connie Blumenthal, MPH³, Selena Youmans, BA³, Doris Stith, BA², Arlinda Ellison, MS⁴, Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH⁵, Stacey W. Lloyd, BS³, Dionne M. Smith, PhD⁶, Barbara Council², and Stacey Henderson, MEd⁷. (1) Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Campus Box 7590, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590, (919) 843-6877, gcorbie@med.unc.edu, (2) Community Enrichment Organization, P.O. Box 1475, Tarboro, NC 27886, (3) Cecil B. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Campus Box 7590, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (4) Edgecombe County Health Department, 2909 Main St., Tarboro, NC 27886, (5) Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Rd, Campus Box 7030, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (6) School of Public Health/ Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 4115-E McGavran Greenberg Hall, Campus Box 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440, (7) Educational, Research, & Technical Consultant, Project GRACE, P.O. Box 1, Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Issues: Evaluation of community based participatory research (CBPR) efforts can be important in strengthening partnerships. We describe preliminary data from process evaluations of Project GRACE (Growing Reaching, Advocating for Change and Empowerment) to determine adherence to CBPR principles in the initial phases of partnership development.

Description: Project GRACE uses a CBPR approach to develop culturally sensitive and sustainable interventions to prevent HIV in African American communities. An independent contractor conducted semi-structured interviews with project steering committee members to assess project knowledge, general climate, awareness of “isms” (i.e. classism, racism), cultural differences, and whether members felt empowered to make project decisions. Members placed a premium on specificity regarding tasks to be completed, resources needed, and processes for sharing information and accountability. They also expressed concern about addressing tension and conflict on committees; sharing information about how organizations and community members are working together; addressing issues of racism, sexism and internalized racism among the group; and having community member representation on working committees.

Lessons Learned: Evaluation results were presented to the steering committee and used as a basis for changes in activities, procedures and policies. Reporting from involved organizations, community member leadership of working committees and attention to capacity building ensures that all members were empowered to make decisions regarding the project and had working knowledge of project activities.

Recommendations: Early assessment of adherence to CBPR principles can provide a practical mechanism for addressing partner concerns and strengthening community-academic partnerships.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the methods and goals of process evaluation for CBPR projects.
• Identify key concerns expressed CBPR partners about adherence to CBPR principles.
• List changes in activities, procedures, and policies that can strengthen community-academic partnerships engaged in CBPR research.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout