Growing through Community-Based Participatory Research: Experiences and Outcomes of the Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF) Partnerships with Academic Institutions

Background: Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) has been, for the most part, developed by academic institutions in urban settings. In rural areas the implementation of CBPR project is a growing experience that fosters capacity building opportunities to overcome significant health disparities. Objective: The presentation describes the development and implementation of CBPR projects between a farmworker organization with academic institutions, while comparing stages, strategies, and outcomes of each project. Methods: CBPR processes/interactions between the FWAF and academic partners were documented through audio and visual recordings and/or note-taking. Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings of each project were also subject to the same recording processes. Formative research of each project included participant observations, focus groups, surveys, and face-to-face interviews. Using critical historical analysis and comparative method analysis three CBPR projects are dissected to discuss pros and cons of the experience. Results: Each CBPR project focused on safety aspects of farm work; all projects had a Community Advisory Board; interaction between community and academic partners were regular and absent of conflicts; and each project brought important economic and human resources to the community organization. However, despite the positive aspects of the CBPR interaction, outcomes of the projects had mixed results as the equality of the partnership suffered from lack of transparency as to resource allocation and data management. Conclusions: Positive interaction of CBPR partners does not always translate into an effective benefit for the population they serve. However, CBPR project in rural communities have the potential of giving voice to an otherwise silent population.