Caafimaad leh (Healthy Living)

The Community Connections and Collaboration Project is a community-based collaborative action research project between the College of St. Catherine and three community-based organizations providing services to the Somali immigrant population within the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota. Through partnership with Women of Africa Resource and Development Association (WARDA), Wellness Connection of Minnesota, and the Brian Coyle Center, women between the ages of 18 and 80 were recruited for focus groups. We queried participants about their health beliefs as well as their health care experiences and priority concerns. Seeking deeper understandings about system resources and gaps, we also interviewed key informants who represented various service providers within the Somali community. Using Atlas.ti 5.2 data management software, we inductively coded research text and identified 5 overall categories including: structural barriers; Caafimaad leh (healthy living); community strengths; community/system relationships and mental health. Each of these categories was then analyzed for conceptual themes. Subsequently, a community forum, which included a panel discussion with Somali community leaders, was held to engage attendees in a dialogue about the themes and to initiate discussion on next steps. Eleven priority concerns with potential interventions were identified by the community. In addition to research results, we will offer ideas on how to create and maintain relationships with community partners. Throughout the presentation we will describe the process of Communty-based Collaborative Action Research as a model for partnering with marginalized communities to address health disparities.