Community based participatory action research among rural Latino immigrants: Findings from a multi-part evaluation research effort

A community based participatory action research (CBPAR) approach, which views the community as change agent, was utilized by 10 rural communities throughout Illinois in collaboration with an academic research team located at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine – Rockford to build community capacity to address locally identified health disparity priorities among rural Hispanic immigrants. A sequenced set of five major, iterative phases (partnership formation, assessment, implementation, evaluation and dissemination) were utilized to build local community capacity under the auspices of community health advisory committees. The committee's conducted local assessments of health priorities among Hispanic residents, implemented local community health projects through the use of a mini-grant program, engaged in a comprehensive 'stakeholder' evaluation process and instituted strategies to ensure sustainability. A multi-part ‘participatory' evaluation approach was used to ascertain the impacts of these efforts. Specifically, three major evaluation research studies comprised the overall community impact evaluation study: 1) a minigrant ‘cluster' evaluation which included a survey and facilitated small group discussion; 2) a community oral history evaluation organized around in depth interviews of staff and community members; and, 3) a comparative case study evaluation which involved CBPAR project document content analysis. Findings reveal that provision of a forum for community dialogue, minimal financial resource investment for action and an active cycle of reflection, promote the sustainability of community partnerships. Furthermore, the sustainability of CBPAR efforts is enhanced when both academic and community research teams develop trusting relationships and remain committed to finding additional avenues to work on together.