National evaluation of the NCI Community Networks Program to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities: Community-based participatory research in action

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kenneth C. Chu, PhD¹, Gabriella M. Newes-Adeyi, PhD, MPH², Jennifer M. Shultz, PhD², Mary C. Dufour, MD, MPH², Sherrie S. Aitken, PhD², Emmanuel A. Taylor, MSc, DrPH³, and Leslie Cooper, PhD, MPH, BSN, RN⁴. (1) Research Branch, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 602 MSC 8341, Rockville, MD 20852, (2) CSR, Incorporated, 2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22201, (703) 312-5220, gnadeyi@csrincorporated.com, (3) National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 602, Rockville, MD 20852, (4) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, USPHSCC, National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Blvd, Suite 602, Bethesda, MD 20892

The community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach is increasingly used in public health, nursing, social work, and related fields. This paper presents the application of the CBPR to the 5-year national cross-site evaluation of the National Cancer Institute's Community Networks Program to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities through Education, Research and Training (CNP). Logic models developed in partnership with the 25 cooperative agreement awardees guided the development and implementation of the evaluation across the three program phases. The models, which included antecedent and contextual variables, mapped activities, outputs and outcomes to phase-specific objectives. Through an iterative process, the national evaluator, awardees and NCI staff collaborated to identify core data elements that linked directly to the logic models.

Adopting a mixed-methods approach, quantifiable data were collected for aggregation across sites, while qualitative data provided indepth understanding of programmatic context. Awardees submitted quarterly data directly through a Web-based data entry system. Awardee staff and community partners also completed a questionnaire to assess partnership synergy, using an instrument developed in partnership with the 25 awardees. Followup indepth interviews explored the context and implications of questionnaire findings.

The use of the CBPR approach in the national evaluation has helped ensure the applicability of evaluation measures across all 25 sites; strengthened awardee commitment to the evaluation; and paved the way for dissemination of findings to a broad network of stakeholders. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of preliminary results on program implementation and strength of community partnerships at the end of phase 1 of the program.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant in the session will be able to

1)Identify the goals and objectives of the national evaluation, in relation to the program goals;
2)Describe how community-based participatory research methods can be used for cross-site evaluations;
3)List 3 indicators of community partnership synergy.

Keywords: Evaluation, Participatory Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation

Community Networks to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities through Education, Research and Training: Program and Evaluation Strategies

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA