Participatory Partnerships for Social Action and Research

Written by distinguished experts in the field, this book shows how researchers, practitioners, and community partners can work together to establish and maintain equitable partnerships using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to increase knowledge and improve health and well-being of the communities involved. CBPR is a collaborative approach to research that draws on the full range of research designs, including case study, etiologic, longitudinal, experimental, and nonexperimental designs. CBPR data collection and analysis methods involve both quantitative and qualitative approaches. What distinguishes CBPR from other approaches to research is the active engagement of all partners in the process. This book provides a comprehensive and thorough presentation of CBPR study designs, specific data collection and analysis methods, and innovative partnership structures and process methods. This book informs students, practitioners, researchers, and community members about methods and applications needed to conduct CBPR in the widest range of research areas—including social determinants of health, health disparities, health promotion, community interventions, disease management, health services, and environmental health.

This thoroughly revised and updated second edition of Methods for Community-Based Participatory Research for Health provides a step-by-step approach to the application of participatory approaches to quantitative and qualitative data collection and data analysis. With contributions from a distinguished panel of experts, this important volume shows how researchers, practitioners, and community partners can work together to establish and maintain equitable partnerships using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to increase knowledge and improve the health and well-being of the communities involved. Written for students, practitioners, researchers, and community members, the book provides a comprehensive presentation of innovative partnership structures and processes, and covers the broad spectrum of methods needed to conduct CBPR in the widest range of research areas—including social determinants of health, health inequities, health promotion, community interventions, disease management, health services, and environmental health. The contributors examine effective methods used within the context of a CBPR approach including survey questionnaire, in-depth interview, focus group interview, ethnography, exposure assessment, and geographic information system mapping. In addition, each chapter describes a case study of the application of the method using a CBPR approach. The book also contains examples of concrete tools and measurement instruments that may be adapted by others involved in CBPR efforts.

The majority of studies on the quality of life have been conducted in Western contexts and are based on Western participants. Comparatively speaking, there are only a few studies that have been conducted in different Chinese contexts. Also, there are fewer QOL studies based on children and adolescents, or studies that examine the relationship between QOL and economic disadvantage. In addition, more research is needed to address the methodological issues related to the assessment of quality of life. This volume is a constructive response to the challenges described above. It is the first book to cover research in Chinese, Western and global contexts in a single volume. It is a ground-breaking volume in which Chinese studies on the quality of life are collected. The book includes papers addressing family QOL, quality of life in adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage, and methodological issues in the assessment of QOL. It is written by researchers working in a variety of disciplines.

This comprehensive, accessibly written resource, is designed to help students and practitioners explore partnerships in creating, contributing, consuming, commissioning or critiquing evidence in and for social work practice.

Meredith Minkler and Nina Wallerstein have brought together, in one important volume, a stellar panel of contributors who offer a comprehensive resource on the theory and application of community based participatory research. Community Based Participatory Research for Health contains information on a wide variety of topics including planning and conducting research, working with communities, promoting social change, and core research methods. The book also contains a helpful appendix of tools, guides, checklists, sample protocols, and much more.