The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50018

Christina Mushi, MPH¹, Celia Larson, PhD¹, David G. Schlundt, PhD², Stephania Miller, PhD³, Nasar U. Ahmed, PhD⁴, Linda McClellan, MS⁵, and Michelle Marrs, MS⁶. (1) Division of Research and Evaluation, Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Health Department, 311 23rd Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37203, (615) 340-5331, christina_mushi@mhd.nashville.org, (2) Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 301 Wilson Hall, Nashville, TN 37203, (3) Diabetes Research and Training Center, Vanderbilt University, 315 Medical Arts, 1211 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37212, (4) Clinical Research Center, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Campus Box A4, 1005 D.B. Todd Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, (5) Project REACH 2010, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Care Center, 1501 Herman Street, Nashville, TN 37208, (6) Executive Director, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Care Center, 1501 Herman Street, Nashville, TN 37208

Community based research in public health is a collaborative approach to research that involves community members, organizational representatives and researchers in all phases of the research process. Community based public health research, particularly if it is participatory in nature, can raise a number of partnership-related issues.

The presentation will discuss the application of several strategies to address partnership issues through a case study of the Nashville REACH 2010 project. The collaborative community based project incorporates a partnership model of functioning to address disparities in health status among African Americans in North Nashville. The recommendations to be discussed include a) the importance of partners having a positive history of collaboration; b) the identification of key community members as partners in the program planning process; c) the inclusion of program staff with ties to the community as implementers of the program; d) the inclusion of community members in research activities e) inclusion of partners in the analysis and publishing process; and f) the formation of an interdisciplinary research team.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the role of partnerships in community based research
• Identify common challenges and barriers to partnership
• Articulate strategies to overcome challenges and barriers in conducting community based research.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.