Community‐based Participatory Research: Benefits and Challenges in the Hollandale Fit for Life Steps Program

Hollandale Fit for Life Steps, a 6-month community intervention involving volunteer “coaches” leading fellow community members in walking groups, utilizes the community-based participatory research model (CBPR). CBPR may improve community interventions by empowering community members to be active partners in the research process. Community members have been involved in every research component of the program from study design development to participant recruitment and data collection. Community members were trained, attained competencies, and performed anthropometric, biological and interview-administered assessments on study participants. Data collection is occurring at enrollment, 3 months, 6 months, and at 6 months post-intervention. Challenges encountered utilizing CBPR include extensive time in developing working relationships and training community members in the research process juxtaposed with community members’ desires to see action and results quickly. Benefits of CBPR are evident in the 3 month data collection retention rates. Community members trained to be walking coaches had a 100% (8 of 8) retention rate from enrollment to 3 month data collection. Walking group participant retention rate was 95% (79 of 83) and retention of community data collectors was 60% (6 of 10). Use of CBPR has directed the university partners to focus on research questions of greatest relevance to the community. In turn, outreach beyond the short duration of the planned intervention is being realized through community members actively planning events related to the current intervention. Supported by USDA, ARS Project#6251-5300-003-00D.