Community-based participatory research – “It's not always perfect, but it works”

Background: Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership, comprised of community members, organizational representatives, business leaders, and academic researchers, has >10 years of successful, extramurally funded research. Members of our CBPR partnership sought to identify predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors influencing our approach to CBPR. We also sought to identify challenges to partnerships and CBPR.

Methods: Data were collected by a well-trusted external researcher, who had postdoctoral CBPR training and experience, using a semi-structured in-depth interview guide. Interviews were conducted with partnership members individually and in small groups over multiple time points. The partnership also engaged in a facilitated visioning process. Findings from these two activities were reviewed and interpreted by partnership members through an adapted nominal group process.

Results: A wide spectrum of factors and challenges were identified. Predisposing factors identified included: a commitment to social inclusion; a “can-do attitude”; and alignment among partner priorities, organizational missions, and research questions. Reinforcing factors included: operationalized principles of partnership; friendship among partners; immediate use of findings by partners; and building on a successful history of CBPR. Enabling factors included: organizational capacity to move beyond service; financial stability of organizations involved; and partner and funder flexibility to protocol revisions during study implementation. Challenges identified included: becoming dependent upon research agenda as a motivating factor for organization direction/programming; and having passion for a “cause” is not sufficient.

Conclusions: CBPR is effective to identify priorities and promote positive community change. The context of authentic CBPR requires a firm foundation and ongoing partner commitment and dedication.