Lucille Webb, MEd, Strengthening the Black Family, Inc., Box 28716, 568 East Lenoir Street, Raleigh, NC 27611, 919-857-9243, webb@handtechisp.com

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that combines methods of inquiry with community capacity-building strategies to bridge the gap between knowledge produced through research and what is practiced in communities to improve health. Although many researchers and practitioners offer definitions and principles for this approach, no clear consensus has emerged to move the field forward. Moreover, during a time when interest is growing rapidly for academic institutions, health agencies, and communities to form research partnerships, few guidelines exist as to how CBPR proposals should be evaluated and what resources are required to promote successful collaborative research efforts.

AHRQ commissioned the RTI-UNC Evidence-Based Practice Center to conduct a systematic evidence review on community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to improved health. This review was designed to establish the nature of the current literature. It will also assist academics, community participants and funders by identifying gaps in implementing this approach.

Learning Objectives: