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Bain LE, Akondeng C, Njamnshi WY, Mandi HE, Amu H, Njamnshi AK. Community engagement in research in sub-Saharan Africa: current practices, barriers, facilitators, ethical considerations and the role of gender - a systematic review. Pan Afr Med J 2022; 43:152. [PMID: 36785694 PMCID: PMC9922083 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2022.43.152.36861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction meaningful community engagement is increasingly being considered the major determinant of successful research, innovation and intervention uptake. Even though there is available literature recommending community engagement in health research, there are still knowledge gaps in how communities might be best engaged in Sub-Saharan Africa. We, therefore, synthesized the existing literature on the current practices, barriers and facilitators, ethical considerations, and gender mainstreaming in the engagement of communities in research in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods this synthesis was developed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). A combination of keywords and medical subject headings was used to search MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health Library through OVID SP, the Cochrane Library, PsychINFO, CINAHL, WHO Afro Library, WHO Global Index Medicus and the National Institute for Health Research, for all literature published between 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2021. Results thirty articles met our inclusion criteria. The key reported facilitators of effective community engagement in research included appropriate community entry and engagement of stakeholders. Barriers to effective community engagement in research included the availability of prohibitive cultural, historical and religious practices; geographical/spatial limitations, difficulties in planning and executing community engagement activities and communication barriers. Awareness creation and sensitization on the research through drama, social media, documentaries, and community durbars are some of the existing practices adopted in engaging communities in research. Gender mainstreaming was not considered appropriately in the engagement of communities in research, as only a few studies made provisions for gender considerations, and most of the time, interchanging gender for sex. Respect for autonomy, privacy and informed consent were the main ethical issues reported. Conclusion gender mainstreaming and ethical standards were reported as important, but not explored in depth. Gender as a social construct needs to be carefully integrated in the entire research cycle. Clear ethical concerns within a research project have to be co-discussed by the research team, community members and potential research participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luchuo Engelbert Bain
- Triangle Research Foundation (TRIFT), Limbe, Cameroon,,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa,,Global South Health Services and Research (GSHS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands,,Corresponding author: Luchuo Engelbert Bain, Triangle Research Foundation (TRIFT), Limbe, Cameroon.
| | - Claudine Akondeng
- Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon,,Cameroon National Association of Family Welfare (CAMNAFAW), Yaoundé, Cameroun
| | - Wepnyu Yembe Njamnshi
- Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon,,Education and Learning for All (ELFA) Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon,,Division of Operational Research in Health, DROS, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Henshaw Eyambe Mandi
- Triangle Research Foundation (TRIFT), Limbe, Cameroon,,Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hubert Amu
- Department of Population and Behavioral Sciences, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Alfred Kongnyu Njamnshi
- Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon,,Education and Learning for All (ELFA) Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon,,Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), The University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
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Brown LD, Strong LL, Civallero L, Mullen PD, Chang S. Building capacity for community-based participatory research to address cancer disparities: Case report from a Community Networks Program Center. EVALUATION AND PROGRAM PLANNING 2020; 82:101829. [PMID: 32544719 PMCID: PMC8641647 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2020.101829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Louis D Brown
- Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, El Paso, TX, United States.
| | - Larkin L Strong
- Department of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.
| | - Linda Civallero
- BridgeUp at Menninger, The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX, United States.
| | - Patricia Dolan Mullen
- Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, United States.
| | - Shine Chang
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.
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Community engagement in patient-centered outcomes research: Benefits, barriers, and measurement. J Clin Transl Sci 2019; 2:371-376. [PMID: 31404157 PMCID: PMC6676439 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2018.341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: This study employed the Delphi method, an exploratory method used for group consensus building, to determine the benefits and challenges associated with community engagement in patient-centered outcomes research. Methods: A series of email surveys were sent to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded researchers (n = 103) in New England. Consensus was achieved through gathering themes and engaging participants in ranking their level of agreement over three rounds. In round one, participant responses were coded thematically and then tallied. In round two participants were asked to state their level of agreement with each of the themes using a Likert scale. Finally, in round three, the group was asked to rank the round two themes based on potential impact. Results: Results suggested the greatest benefit of community engagement is that it brings multiple perspectives to the table, with 92% ranking it as the first or second most important contribution. Time was ranked as the most significant barrier to engaging community. Strategies to overcome barriers to community engagement include engaging key stakeholders early in the research, being kind and respectful and spending time with stakeholders. The most significant finding was that no researchers reported having specific measures to evaluate community engagement. Conclusion: Community engagement can enhance both research relevance and methodology when researchers are engaged in meaningful collaborations. Advancing the science of community engagement will require the development of evaluation metrics to examine the multiple domains of partnership.
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Oldfield BJ, Muñoz N, Boshnack N, Leavitt R, McGovern MP, Villanueva M, Tetrault JM, Edelman EJ. "No more falling through the cracks": A qualitative study to inform measurement of integration of care of HIV and opioid use disorder. J Subst Abuse Treat 2019; 97:28-40. [PMID: 30577897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Integration of HIV- and opioid use disorder (OUD)-related care is associated with improved patient outcomes. Our goal was to develop a novel instrument for measuring quality of integration of HIV and OUD-related care that would be applicable across diverse care settings. METHODS Grounded in community-based participatory research principles, we conducted a qualitative study from August through November 2017 to inform modification of the Behavioral Health Integration in Medical Care (BHIMC) instrument, a validated measure of quality of integration of behavioral health in primary care. We conducted semi-structured interviews of patients (n = 22), focus groups with clinical staff (n = 24), and semi-structured interviews of clinic leadership (n = 5) in two urban centers in Connecticut. RESULTS We identified three themes that characterize optimal integration of HIV- and OUD-related care: (1) importance of mitigating mismatches in resources and knowledge, particularly resources to address social risks and knowledge gaps about evidence-based treatments for OUD; (2) need for patient-centered policies and inter-organization communication, and (3) importance of meeting people where they are, geographically and at their stage of change. These themes highlighted aspects of integrated care for HIV and OUD not captured in the original BHIMC. CONCLUSIONS Patients, clinical staff, and organization leadership perceive that addressing social risks, communication across agencies, and meeting patients in their psychosocial and structural context are important for optimizing integration of HIV and OUD-related care. Our proposed, novel instrument is a step towards measuring and improving service delivery locally and nationally for this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Oldfield
- National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
| | - Nicolas Muñoz
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | | | - Robert Leavitt
- AIDS Project New Haven, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Mark P McGovern
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Merceditas Villanueva
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Jeanette M Tetrault
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - E Jennifer Edelman
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Community-based Participatory Research Is Needed to Address Pulmonary Health Disparities. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2018; 13:1231-8. [PMID: 27249657 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.201601-054ps] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic and racial disparities in the outcomes of medical management remain common across pulmonary diseases in the United States and worldwide. Acknowledging this, the American Thoracic Society recently put forth recommendations to advance respiratory health equity. Through engagement of vulnerable communities in search of collaborative solutions to improve health disparities, community-based participatory research embodies concepts essential to the American Thoracic Society mission for respiratory health equity. The purpose of this commentary is to provide an overview of the principles of community-based participatory research and the application of this approach to addressing inequity in the outcomes of treatment for lung disease. Community-based participatory research aims to decrease health disparities by recognizing the social and ecological paradigms of health care and by partnering community members with academic researchers in all aspects of the research process. Community partners are uniquely poised to offer insight into local culture, circumstances that guide health behaviors, and other challenges to improve their own community's health. Sustainable interventions, either through strengthening existing community assets or through community empowerment and local capacity building throughout the research process, are essential to the success of community-based participatory research. The National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies offer funding opportunities to support specific interventions aimed at engaging community members in the research process. In pulmonary medicine, community-based initiatives have focused primarily on improving pediatric asthma outcomes. Using a community-based approach in adult asthma and other pulmonary diseases could be an ideal manner in which to decrease pulmonary health disparities.
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Sprague Martinez L, Reisner E, Campbell M, Brugge D. Participatory Democracy, Community Organizing and the Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) Partnership. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14020149. [PMID: 28165418 PMCID: PMC5334703 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14020149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: Conflicting interests, power imbalance and relationships characterized by distrust are just a few of the many challenges community–academic research partnerships face. In addition, the time it takes to build relationships is often overlooked, which further complicates matters and can leave well-intentioned individuals re-creating oppressive conditions through inauthentic partnerships. This paper presents a novel approach of using meeting minutes to explore partnership dynamics. The Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) partnership is used as an illustrative case study to identify how community academic partnerships overcome the challenges associated with community-based participatory research (CBPR). CAFEH is a study of ultrafine particle exposure (UFP) near highways in the Boston, MA area. Methods: Qualitative analysis was applied to meeting minutes and process evaluation reports from the first three years of the CAFEH study (n = 73 files). In addition, a group meeting was held with project partners in order to contextualize the findings from the document analysis. Results: The three most commonly referenced challenges included language barriers, the overall project structure and budgetary constraints. Meanwhile, a heavy emphasis on process and an approach steeped in participatory democracy facilitated CAFEH’s ability to overcome these challenges, as well as sustain and augment strong partnership ties. Conclusions: This experience suggests that leadership that incorporates an organizing approach and a transformational style facilitates CBPR processes and helps teams surmount challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Sprague Martinez
- Macro Department, Boston University School of Social Work, 264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Ellin Reisner
- Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership, 51 Mt. Vernon Street, Somerville, MA 02145, USA.
| | - Maria Campbell
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| | - Doug Brugge
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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Edelman EJ, Cole CA, Richardson W, Boshnack N, Jenkins H, Rosenthal MS. Stigma, substance use and sexual risk behaviors among HIV-infected men who have sex with men: A qualitative study. Prev Med Rep 2016; 3:296-302. [PMID: 27556006 PMCID: PMC4985780 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Public health HIV-service providers, including Medical Case Managers (case managers) and Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) have a key role to play in identifying and addressing clients' complex mental health needs and substance use which contribute to sexual risk behaviors, yet their understanding and its consensus with HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) have not been well characterized. Methods Together with an AIDS Service Organization and the Connecticut State Department of Public Health in 2011–2012, we conducted a focus group of case managers (n = 14) and interviewed DIS (n = 7) and HIV-infected MSM (n = 17) in Connecticut. We used the constant comparison method, grounded theory, and a community-based participatory approach to guide analysis. Results We identified three themes characterizing public health HIV-service providers' and MSM's perspectives regarding factors contributing to substance use and sexual risk behaviors in the context of HIV infection: 1) While both MSM and providers described a co-occurrence of HIV, stigma, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors, only MSM identified a causal relationship between these factors; 2) MSM and providers both described varying levels of self-efficacy in readiness to decrease substance use and sexual risk behaviors among MSM; both identified the social network as the key barrier to overcome; 3) Providers described how the co-occurrence of HIV, stigma and sexual risk behaviors leads to multi-faceted client needs for which they lacked sufficient training and collaboration. Conclusions Provider education, skills-based training, and interventions targeting social networks may decrease sexual risk behaviors among HIV-infected MSM. MSM recognize that HIV diagnosis may trigger substance use and sexual risk behaviors. HIV-service providers inconsistently prepared to facilitate behavior change among MSM Need social network-based interventions to decrease MSM's risk behaviors Provider training on interventions & stages of change theory to address risk behaviors warranted
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Affiliation(s)
- E Jennifer Edelman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Christopher A Cole
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States; AIDS Project New Haven, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Wanda Richardson
- STD Control Program, Connecticut State Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT, United States
| | | | - Heidi Jenkins
- STD Control Program, Connecticut State Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Marjorie S Rosenthal
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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Edelman EJ, Cole CA, Richardson W, Boshnack N, Jenkins H, Rosenthal MS. Opportunities for improving partner notification for HIV: results from a community-based participatory research study. AIDS Behav 2014; 18:1888-97. [PMID: 24469221 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-013-0692-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
To identify actionable opportunities for improving Partner Notification (PN) for HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM), we characterized the perspectives and experiences of PN among Medical Case Managers (case managers), Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), and MSM. In partnership with an AIDS service organization and the Connecticut State Health Department, we conducted a focus group of case managers (n = 14) and in-depth interviews with DIS (n = 7) and MSM (n = 24). We found differences between MSM's and providers' (case managers and DIS) perspectives regarding (1) determinants of sexual risk behaviors; (2) considerations impacting HIV disclosure; and (3) barriers to trusting relationships between MSM and providers. Factors impacting MSM perspectives on PN were incompletely appreciated by both case managers and DIS. PN may be improved through improving provider understanding of the complexities for MSM regarding sexual risk behaviors and disclosure and transcending barriers to trusting relationships between MSM and providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Jennifer Edelman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208025, New Haven, CT, 06520-8088, USA,
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Improving ethical and participatory practice for marginalized populations in biomedical HIV prevention trials: lessons from Thailand. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100058. [PMID: 24949864 PMCID: PMC4064984 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This paper presents findings from a qualitative investigation of ethical and participatory issues related to the conduct of biomedical HIV prevention trials among marginalized populations in Thailand. This research was deemed important to conduct, as several large-scale biomedical HIV prevention trials among marginalized populations had closed prematurely in other countries, and a better understanding of how to prevent similar trial closures from occurring in the future was desired. Methods In-depth key informant interviews were held in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, translated and thematically analyzed. The Good Participatory Practice Guidelines for Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials (GPP) guided this work. Results Fourteen interviews were conducted: 10 with policymakers, academic and community-based researchers and trial staff and four with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Suggested ways to improve ethical and participatory practice centered on standards of HIV prevention, informed consent, communication and human rights. In particular, the need to overcome language and literacy differences was identified. Key informants felt communication was the basis of ethical understanding and trust within biomedical HIV prevention trial contexts, and thus fundamental to trial participants' ability to exercise free will. Discussion Biomedical HIV prevention trials present opportunities for inclusive and productive ethical and participatory practice. Key informants suggested that efforts to improve practice could result in better relationships between research stakeholders and research investigative teams and by extension, better, more ethical participatory trials. This research took place in Thailand and its findings apply primarily to Thailand. However, given the universality of many ethical considerations, the results of this study can inform the improvement of ethical and participatory practice in other parts of the world where biomedical HIV prevention trials occur, and where clinical trials in marginalized populations continue.
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