Oral

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is an orientation to public health research that requires a collaborative approach to involve research participants throughout all stages of research projects. A more comprehensive approach than community-based or community-placed research, CBPR requires that all stakeholders in research projects recognize one another’s expertise as strengths, thus ensuring mutual respect and contributions before, during, and after a single public health study. Improving public health often entails moving beyond the conventional health care system to include integrated and innovative approaches. CBPR has emerged as an alternative research paradigm which integrates education and social action to improve health and deepen our scientific base of knowledge in the areas of health promotion, disease prevention, and health disparities. It is regarded as an effective method for transferring evidence-based research from clinical settings to communities that can most benefit thereby improving health. CBPR's community-partnered research processes offer the potential to generate better-informed hypotheses, develop more effective interventions, and enhance the translation of the research results into practice. Thus, CBPR is an essential tool for action-oriented and community-driven public health research. Participants will leave the session with an understanding of CBPR approaches, advantages, and efficacy in generating improved health outcomes through research and policy advocacy. Specifically, participants will be informed through an examination of thriving research projects by NIH grantees targeting health promotion, interventions, and health disparities in the areas of environmental health, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Further, the progressive support for CBPR at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be showcased.

Session Objectives: Define CBPR, explain its approaches, and differentiate between other forms of community research. Demonstrate CBPR’s efficacy in improving health through research and policy. Examine case studies from NIH grantees. Describe the success of CBPR approaches in environmental health, cancer and cardiovascular disease research. Discuss current NIH funding opportunities and the process of grant application to NIH.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)