Abstract

Background: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been shown to enhance trust and engagement among community academic partners. However, the value of CBPR among hyper-researched, inner-city communities has not been evaluated adequately. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a CBPR based engagement process in an inner-city, hyper-researched, underserved community.

Methods: A qualitative process evaluation was conducted using focus groups, key informant in-depth interviews, and a brief survey to evaluate the attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, impact of, and satisfaction with the CBPR engagement process used to plan and conduct a community asset mapping project.

Results: Three focus groups, eight in-depth interviews, and survey responses from 31 individuals were obtained and analyzed. Findings include a sense of accomplishment and value with the engagement process, as well as a sense of tangible benefits of the process perceived by community members and academic research partners.

Conclusions: CBPR may represent an effective approach to enhancing trust and community–academic collaboration even among cynical, resistant, hyper-researched, underserved communities.

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