Lessons Learned from the Implementation of a Shared Community-Academic HIV Prevention Intervention

Combating Chronic Disease with Barbershop Health Interventions: A Review of Current Knowledge and Potential for Big Data

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) using barbershop interventions is an emerging approach to address health disparities and promote health equity. Barbershops serve as trusted community settings for health education, screening services, and referrals. This narrative mini-review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding CBPR employing barbershop interventions and explores the potential for big data involvement to enhance the impact and reach of this approach in combating chronic disease. CBPR using barbershop interventions has shown promising results in reducing blood pressure among Black men and improving diabetes awareness and self-management. By increasing testing rates and promoting preventive behaviors, barbershop interventions have been successful in addressing infectious diseases, including HIV and COVID-19. Barbershops have also played roles in promoting cancer screening and increasing awareness of cancer risks, namely prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. Further, leveraging the trusted relationships between barbers and their clients, mental health promotion and prevention efforts have been successful in barbershops. The potential for big data involvement in barbershop interventions for chronic disease management offers new opportunities for targeted programs, real-time monitoring, and personalized approaches. However, ethical considerations regarding privacy, confidentiality, and data ownership need to be carefully addressed. To maximize the impact of barbershop interventions, challenges such as training and resource provision for barbers, cultural appropriateness of interventions, sustainability, and scalability must be addressed. Further research is needed to evaluate long-term impact, cost-effectiveness, and best practices for implementation. Overall, barbershops have the potential to serve as key partners in addressing chronic health disparities and promoting health equity.

Development of a Community Advisory Board to Guide Research About Cancer Disparities in the Black and African American Community

BACKGROUND

Researchers who aim to serve a community (i.e., racial, gender, ethnic group) of which they are not a part must do foundational work to understand that community and build intentional, thoughtful collaborations with the community to guide their work.

OBJECTIVES

This article aims to share a case exemplar of the formation period of a community advisory board (CAB) that conducts research focused on improving health equity in the Black and African American community.

METHODS

CAB development has three phases: formation, operation, and maintenance. Previous work has described and provided best practices for each phase. This article focused on the first phase, formation. Guided by critical race theory, with guidance from her mentor, a researcher partnered with a research assistant and a community health educator to develop a CAB. Details of their processes-which apply to the formation of other CABs-are presented.

DISCUSSION

During the board formation period, the major focus has been relationship building and developing a shared mission: "To work in partnership with researchers at the University of North Carolina to reduce cancer disparities in Black/African American communities by informing research and program development. As a liaison between the community and researchers, the Community Advisory Board will identify community needs, promote evidence-based interventions and information, raise awareness about health disparities in communities, and educate researchers." CAB formation is nuanced and unique, dependent upon the nature of the research to be conducted and the characteristics of the community and researchers. This case exemplar provides valuable insights to other researchers working to build community partnerships.

Sexual Health Interventions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities Using Community-Based Participatory Research: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Racial/ethnic minorities (REMs) continue to carry the burden of sexual health disparities in the United States, including increased health risks and lower proportions of preventative care. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been useful in developing interventions aimed at reducing these disparities. Specifically, partnership with the target group members has resulted in more culturally relevant intervention strategies.

AIM

The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze the existing research on sexual health interventions targeting U.S. REMs that were developed using CBPR, to highlight the role target group members played in the development of these interventions, and to explore the benefits and outcomes of these partnerships.

METHOD

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guided the search of 46 thesauri terms for CBPR, sexual health, and REMs across six databases.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 805 identified studies. After applying limiters, reviewing abstracts, and doing a full-text review, 24 appropriate studies were retained. The key findings indicated significant intervention outcomes such as increased health knowledge, attitude change, and behavioral intention that could reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors. Twelve studies detailed the methods for partnering with target group members to formulate interventions, highlighting the benefits related to recruitment, retention, and cultural relevance.

DISCUSSION

CBPR is well-positioned to address sexual health disparities among REMs. While community partnership strategies vary, the findings yield evidence that CBPR addressing sexual health disparities is achievable, can influence the effectiveness of interventions, and should be considered as an orientation in future sexual health research.

A scoping review to identify and describe the characteristics of theories, models and frameworks of health research partnerships

Background

Engaging users of health research, namely knowledge users, as partners in the research process may to lead to evidence that is more relevant to the users. This may optimize the uptake of evidence in healthcare practice, resulting in improved health outcomes or more efficient healthcare systems. However, barriers to involving knowledge users in the research process exist. Theories, models and frameworks may help guide the process of involving knowledge users and address barriers to engaging with knowledge users in research; however, there is little evidence identifying or describing the theories, models and frameworks of health research partnerships.

Objectives

Identify and describe theories, models and frameworks of health research partnerships. Report on concepts of knowledge user engagement represented in identified theories, models and frameworks.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review. Database (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PCORI) and ancestry and snowball searches were utilized. Included articles were written in English, published between January 2005 and June 2021, specific to health, a research partnership, and referred to a theory, model or framework. No critical appraisal was conducted. We developed a coding framework to extract details related to the publication (e.g. country, year) and theory, model or framework (e.g. intended users, theoretical underpinning, methodology, methods of development, purpose, concepts of knowledge user engagement). One reviewer conducted data extraction. Descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis were utilized to report the results.

Results

We identified 21 874 articles in screening. Thirty-nine models or frameworks were included in data analysis, but no theory. Two models or frameworks (5%) were underpinned by theory. Literature review was the method (n = 11, 28%) most frequently used to develop a model or framework. Guiding or managing a partnership was the most frequently reported purpose of the model/framework (n = 14, 36%). The most represented concept of knowledge user engagement was principles/values (n = 36, 92%).

Conclusions

The models and frameworks identified could be utilized by researchers and knowledge users to inform aspects of a health research partnership, such as guidance or implementation of a partnership. Future research evaluating the quality and applicability of the models and frameworks is necessary to help partners decide which model or framework to implement.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12961-022-00877-4.