Community-Based Participatory Research Readings

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a "collaborative approach to research that equitably involves, for example, community members, organizational representatives, and researchers in all aspects of the research process" (Israel, Schulz, Parker, & Becker, 1998, p. 177).

Future PITCH projects will utilize CBPR approaches to develop child health promotion and intervention projects. For example, we are in the planning phases of a project that will assess the outcomes of a school-wide health initiative in a suburban elementary school. The school community formed a Health and Wellness committee made up of students, parents, and faculty. The committee aims to make changes in the school as part of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation program. PITCH has become a partner in their project and will collect data at baseline and after the changes have been implemented in order to identify how the changes impact student health.

If you'd like to learn more about CBPR, including the rationale for using CBPR methods, please see these selected readings:

Articles:
Israel, B. A., Schulz, A. J., Parker, E. A., & Becker, A. B. (1998). Review of community-based research: assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annual Review of Public Health, 19, 173-202.

Wallerstein, N.B. & Duran, B. D. (2006). Using community-based participatory research to address health disparities. Health Promotion Practice, 7, 312-323.

Books:
Community-based Participatory Research for Health, edited by Minkler & Wallerstein


Methods in Community-Based Participatory Research for Health, by Israel et al.