217665 Using Community-based Participatory Research and ethnographic methods to assess a rural community

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Pamela A. Kulbok, DNSc, RN , School of Nursing, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Nisha Botchwey, PhD , School of Architecture, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Peggy S. Meszaros, PhD , Department of Human Development, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Ivora Hinton, PhD , Rural Health Care Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Donna Bond, DNP, RN , Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA
Nancy Anderson, PhD, RN, FAAN , School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Background: The purpose of this interdisciplinary study is to identify ecological, cultural, and contextual factors influencing adolescent lifestyles in a rural tobacco-producing community using multiple participatory methods as a basis for developing and testing an intervention to prevent youth substance use. Methods: This study combines community based participatory research (CBPR) and ethnographic approaches with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, and Photovoice to conduct an ecological, commu-nity, and environmental assessment of a rural, ethnically diverse Virginia county. A “Model of CBPR and Ehnographic Orientations” guided the study. With IRB approval from three institutions, a community participatory research team (CPRT) of community leaders (n=4), parents (n=8), youth (n=8), and investigators (n=5) is conducting assessment activities and reviewing findings for relevance to develop a youth substance use preventive intervention. The CPRT meets monthly to select questions from assessment domains: community core/history, physical environment, social systems, idea systems, and behavior systems. The CPRT directs recruitment of youth, parents, and community leaders for group and individual interviews. Results: The process of assessing local knowledge, GIS mapping of critical data, and describing the community through pictures will facilitate subsequent study phases, designing and testing a culturally relevant program to prevent substance use based on community studies with effectiveness data and to reach minority and majority rural youth. Conclusions: Local knowledge of the community provides a rich understanding of substance nonuse and use; circumstances surrounding substance use activities; and the local environment, traditions, beliefs, and attitudes toward tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use and non drug-related behaviors.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related nursing
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe a new research model combining Community-based Participatory Research and ethnographic orientations. 2) Identify cultural and contextual factors influencing adolescent lifestyles in a rural tobacco-producing community.

Keywords: Community Participation, Substance Abuse Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a public health nursing educator and researcher for so many years and have experiences in conducting CBPR resarch.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.