Syllabus

Schedule

Course Schedule:

Each week opens on Wednesday at 12:01 AM ET. Each week closes on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday.

• Week 1 Feb 27 – Mar 6
• Week 2 Mar 6 – Mar 13
• Week 3 Mar 13 – Mar 20
• Week 4 Mar 20 – Mar 27
• Week 5 Mar 27 – Apr 3
• Week 6 Apr 3 – Apr 10
• Week 7 Apr 10 – Apr 17
• Week 8 Apr 17 – Apr 21 (Sunday) 

Weekly Schedule: 

*See Blackboard for required and recommended weekly readings, lectures, and videos.

Week 1: Defining Research and Historical Roots of CBPR

Weekly Outcomes

• Use quantitative and qualitative data to define the identity of a community and target population.
• Position and articulate the impact of a health issue within a target population.
• Apply the concept of self-reflexivity to position one’s own location of power as a researcher within a community.

Required Materials

• Minkler & Wallerstein: Chapters 1 & 2
• PolicyLink and the University of California,  Berkeley School of Public Health. Community-Based Participatory Research: A Strategy for Building Healthy Communities and Promoting Health through Policy Change. 2012. http://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/CBPR.pdf. Accessed September 13, 2016.

Lectures

• Week 1 Lecture
• UNM Health Science Center. “CBPR: History, Context, Principles, Challenges, Steps” by Dr. Nina Wallerstein at the 2016 Summer CBPR Institute at the University of New Mexico. Vimeo. June 2016. https://vimeo.com/169307622. Accessed September 13, 2016.

Recommended Materials

• Israel et al.: Chapter 1
• Simonds VW, Wallerstein N, Duran B, Villegas M. Community-Based Participatory Research: Its Role in Future Cancer Research and Public Health Practice. Prev Chronic Dis 2013;10:120205. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.120205
• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites

Assignments

• Discussion: Introduction
  • Please introduce yourself on the Discussion Board. In addition to the personal information you’re willing to share, please describe your educational and professional background as it relates to public health and, most specifically, research and/or CBPR. Please post your introduction as early in the week as possible. 
• Discussion:

  • Prior to completing this Forum Discussion assignment, please carefully read the details and guidance presented in the final project descriptor; Sections C and D are most relevant this week.

    Original Contribution:

    In this first week of the course, you’ll complete the initial task of your research proposal, which is to identify the community, the target population within that community, and the public health issue of concern. This is the focus of your “research problem.” Here are the major points to address in your original contribution to this forum:

    • Define the community, the target population, and the health issue you will focus on. Include as much information as you currently have available and as it relates to the requirements of the final proposal. You do not need to include quantitative or qualitative data in your description for this week. You must, however, identify a minimum of one specific source that provides data relevant to your research problem (e.g., data that defines your community, target population, and/or the impact of the health issue on that population).
    • Describe why you’ve identified this as your research problem. What knowledge or experiences triggered your interest? What do you foresee as strengths of your research problem as they relate to the proposal process?
    • What do you foresee as weaknesses?
    • Cite the lectures and materials that informed the selection and definition of your research problem.
    • Request specific feedback and suggestions from your colleagues and instructor. Knowing what you currently do about the research proposal process, what concerns do you have about your selection of community, population, and health issue?
    • [Note: Your instructor will approve your research problem or provide you with feedback that indicates required changes.]
• Analysis of CBPR Principles: 

  • In her presentation, Dr. Nina Wallerstein discusses the importance of self-reflexivity when conducting CBPR. Consider the research questions posed by Mohan Dutta in the context of self-reflexivity. Relative to your proposed research project, what are the two most important aspects of your own “location of power” in the research process? What is the potential impact of each on your work within your chosen community? How do you think the community’s point of view, as related to your research project, will differ from your own? 

Week 2: Forming and Building Partnerships

Weekly Outcomes

• Identify strengths and resources within communities to form and build partnerships.
• Discuss the importance of reciprocal relationships that foster co-learning and mutual benefit.

Required Materials

• Minkler M, Wallerstein N. Chapter 3, (pages 47-66).
• Caldwell WB, Reyes AG, Rowe Z, Weinert J, Israel B. Community Partner Perspectives on Benefits, Challenges, Facilitating Factors, and Lessons Learned from Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships in Detroit. Progress in Community Health Partnerships. 2015;9.2:299-311. This article is available online through the UNE Library: Enter the full article title in the Quick Search field at http://une.edu/library
• UC Berkeley School of Public Health, PolicyLink, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Promoting Health Public Policy through Community-Based Participatory Research: Ten Case Studies. https://depts.washington.edu/ccph/pdf_files/CBPR_final.pdf. Accessed September 13, 2016.

Lecture

• Week 2 Lecture

Recommended Materials

• Israel et al Part 2 (Ch 2 – 4)
• Safo S, Cunningham C, Beckman A, Haughton L, Starrels JL. “A place at the table:” a qualitative analysis of community board members’ experiences with academic HIV/AIDS research. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 2016;16:80. doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0181-8.
• Detroit Urban Research Center – Advancing Partnerships, Research, and Equity in Detroit – Youtube video
• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites

Assignments

• Discussion:
  • Prior to completing this Forum Discussion assignment, please carefully read the details and guidance presented in the final project descriptor; Section Ei is most relevant this week.

    Original Contribution:

    This week’s Discussion Forum is focused on identifying the key community stakeholders of your proposed research project. Create a list of stakeholders, using the guidelines presented in Section E. For each stakeholder listed:

    • Explain your purpose for including them;
    • Describe why they would be interested in your research project;
    • Discuss the benefits to them from participating in the research;
    • Propose possible concerns they may have regarding their own participation in the research.

    Cite the materials that informed your identification of stakeholders.

    Request specific feedback and suggestions from your colleagues. For example, knowing what you currently do about forming and building partnerships for successful CBPR, what concerns do you have about stakeholder participation in your research project? Or what gaps do you see that need to be filled, and how might your colleagues help you to identify potential partners to fill them?

    Response Post:

    Choose the original contribution of a colleague who has not yet received feedback. Consider your colleague’s response to this week’s research focus, as well as their specific request for feedback. Provide new ideas to consider and posit questions that will help them deepen their thinking. 

• Analysis of CBPR Principles: Describe how certain CBPR principles were applied in the research presented in your chosen case study. 

  • Choose one of the following case studies presented in the UC Berkeley/PolicyLink report:

    • “Addressing diesel bus pollution and its health consequences in Northern Manhattan, New York” or
    • “Making the healthy choice the easy choice: A Healthy Communities CBPR Partnership in New Castle, Indiana”

    Describe how the following CBPR principles (shown on p. 13 of the report) were applied in the research presented in your chosen case study:

    • #3: Facilitates collaborative, equitable partnership in all phases of the research;
    • #4: Promotes co-learning and capacity building among all partners;
    • #5: Integrates and achieves a balance between research and action for the mutual benefit of all partners.

    In addition to your reaction of how each principle is applied, address the following:

    • Why did you choose one case study over the other?
    • What is one element, feature, or challenge of the case study that is potentially relevant to your own course research project? How might it inform the development of your proposal?

Week 3: Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities

Weekly Outcomes

• Describe how social determinants are used in the design of CBPR to reduce health disparities in a community. 

Required Materials

• McElfish PA, Kohler P, Smith C, Warmack S, Buron B, Hudson J, Bridges M, Purvis R, Rubon-Chutaro J. Community-Driven Research Agenda to Reduce Health Disparities. Clinical and Translational Science. 2015;8(6):690-695. This article is available online through the UNE Library: Enter the full article title in the Quick Search field at http://une.edu/library
• Lewis D, Yerby L, Tucker M, Foster PP, Hamilton KC, Fifolt MM, Hites L, Shreves MK, Page SB, Bissell KL, Lucky FL, Higginbotham JC. Bridging Community and Academic Scholars Together to Facilitate and Conduct Authentic Community Based Participatory Research: Project UNITED. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2016;13(1):35. This article is available online through the UNE Library Journal Title Search: Enter the title of the journal at http://www.une.edu/library/e-resources/ftjournals. On the results page, select the “Look Up Article” link below the ISSN. In the Citation Linker, enter DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13010035
• Marmot M. Social determinants of health inequalities. The Lancet. 2005;365:1099-1104.
• Minkler M, Wallerstein N. Chapter 3 (review pgs 57-58)

Lectures and Other Viewings

• Week 3 Lecture
• WebsEdgeHealth. “NYC, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene- Center for Health Equity.” YouTube. Published October 30, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC-NoVhSTP0 Accessed September 15, 2016. CC available
• Sir Michael Marmot: Social Determinants of Health (2014 WORLD.MINDS)

Recommended Materials

• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites
• Israel et al Chapter 15

Assignments

• Discussion:
  • Prior to completing this Forum Discussion assignment, please carefully read the details and guidance presented in the final project descriptor; Section D is most relevant this week. 

    Original Contribution:

    Describe the inequities or other relevant factors that relate to the health issue you’ve identified within your chosen community. For example, are there social factors that contribute to the health issue? These might include cultural influencers (e.g. food preferences, attitudes toward seeking health care), socioeconomic status, housing conditions, or the physical environment (e.g. nearby industrial complex). What are the connections between the inequities or other factors and the health issue you’ve identified? What are the impacts on your target population?

    Cite the materials that informed your response.

    Request specific feedback and suggestions from your colleagues. What assistance would be helpful in improving your understanding of the relationship between the inequities that exist in the community and the health issue?

    Response Post:

    Choose the original contribution of a colleague who has not yet received feedback. Consider your colleague’s response to this week’s research focus, as well as their specific request for feedback. Provide new ideas to consider and posit questions that will help them deepen their thinking.

• Analysis of CBPR Principles: 
  • This week’s required readings describe social determinants of health and a partnership approach to reduce health disparities in selected communities. What is similar about how the the researchers engaged their respective communities? What is different? Would you expect one project to be more successful than the other at reducing the intended health disparities? Explain. 

Week 4: Issues of Power in CBPR: Understanding the Impact of Race, Class and Privilege

Weekly Outcomes

• Define a collaborative and equitable researcher-community partnership. 
• Propose strategies for addressing social inequalities that exist between researchers and community partners. 

Required Materials

• Minkler & Wallerstein
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 7
  • Chapter 14

Lecture

• Week 4 Lecture

Recommended Materials

• Minkler & Wallerstein:
  • Chapter 8
  • Appendix I
• Israel et al.: Chapter 4
• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites

Assignments 

• Discussion:
  • Prior to completing this Forum Discussion assignment, please carefully read the details and guidance presented in the final project descriptor; Section Eii is most relevant this week.

    Original Contribution:

    Define the roles of the researchers and the roles of the community members you have identified as stakeholders of your research project:

    • Describing how you will structure the research to be conducted collaboratively.
    • Detail the strategies you will use to ensure that community members are not inappropriately influenced by you or your research partners.
    • Detail the strategies you will use to ensure that community members’ participation is equitable.
    • Discuss any ethical issues that could arise as a result of the collaboration between researchers and community.

    Cite the materials that informed your response.

    Request specific feedback and suggestions from your colleagues. What aspects of the researcher-community partnership are you most concerned about? Where are the gaps in the design of your collaboration?

    Response Post:

    Choose the original contribution of a colleague who has not yet received feedback. Consider your colleague’s response to this week’s research focus, as well as their specific request for feedback. Provide new ideas to consider and posit questions that will help them deepen their thinking.

• Analysis of CBPR Principles: Submit a draft of the following section of your research proposal: A, B, C, D, Ei, and Eii. 

  • Submit a draft of the following sections of your research proposal: A, B, C, D, Ei and Eii. This is an opportunity to assimilate the feedback you have collected from colleagues to date and present a cohesive document for instructor feedback. The conclusion of your paper must include a request for specific instructor feedback. What are your most significant concerns? What guidance can your instructor provide? 

    Make sure to review the Final Project Document for a full description of the required sections (A, B, C, D, Ei, and Eii). 

Week 5: Engaging Communities in Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination in CBPR

Weekly Outcomes

• Describe strategies for co-developing research design with community partners. 
• Compare methods of collaborative and participatory data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. 

Required Readings/Videos

• Minkler & Wallerstein
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 11

• Garnett BR, Wendel J, Banks C, Goodridge A, Harding R, Harris R, Hacker K, ChomitzVR. Challenges of data dissemination efforts with a community-based participatory project about persistent racial disparities in excess weight. Progress in Community Health Partnerships. 2015;9(2):289-298. This article is available online through the UNE Library: Enter the full article title in the Quick Search field at http://une.edu/library

Lecture and Other Viewings

• Week 5 Lecture
• Bristol Health Partners. “Smart Cities: Engaging People in Using City Data” by Lorraine Hudson. YouTube. Published March 10, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzIQGbueqNc Accessed September 15, 2016.
• Ohio State CCTS. “Innovative Approaches to CBPR: Using PhotoVoice to Hear the Community” by Lorraine Wallace. YouTube. Published May 20, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wz1lycemOI Accessed September 15, 2016.

Recommended Materials

• Israel et al: Chapter 12
• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites

Assignments

• Discussion:
  • Prior to completing this Forum Discussion assignment, please carefully read the details and guidance presented in the final project descriptor; Section Eiii is most relevant this week.

    Original Contribution:

    Describe the data you will collect and how it will be used to fulfill the purpose and objectives of your proposal, including: Potential methods to collect, analyze, interpret, and disseminate local data. While some of these decisions will be made in partnership with your community members, you should be prepared to make recommendations. How community members will be involved in ways that place true value on their contributions to the data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination processes.

    Cite the materials that informed your response.

    Request specific feedback and suggestions from your colleagues. What aspects of data development and implementation are most challenging for your project? What assistance might your colleagues provide to help you improve your data collection and use?

    Response Post:

    Choose the original contribution of a colleague who has not yet received feedback. Consider your colleague’s response to this week’s research focus, as well as their specific request for feedback. Provide new ideas to consider and posit questions that will help them deepen their thinking.

     
• Analysis of CBPR Principles: Collaborative and participatory data methods
  • Lorraine Hudson discusses data literacy skills among non-(public health)professionals, particularly with respect to understanding, locating, and interpreting data. Consider the variety of data collection methods presented in this week’s lectures and readings. What three methods do you think would be easiest to use within your chosen research community? What might be the barriers to implementing each? Will you include any of these methods in your proposal? Why or why not?

Week 6: Engaging Communities to Disseminate Results and Plan for Action

Weekly Outcomes

• Describe examples of decision-making processes that contribute to the advancement of interventions and policies that address community concerns. 

Required Materials

• Minkler & Wallerstein: Chapter 16

Lecture and Other Viewings

• Week Six Lecture
• CTSI of Southern Wisconsin. “Healthy Latino Families Study: An Example of An Effective, Community Based Intervention.” YouTube. Published October 8, 2013.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKBz7D0Tl6A  Accessed September 15, 2016.
• UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “Participatory Decision-Making in Multi-Stakeholder Collaborations” by Dr. Sam Kaner. YouTube. Published October 11, 2011.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2OETQWfLro Accessed September 15, 2016.

Recommended Material

• Israel et al.: Chapters 17, 18, 19
• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites

Assignments

• Discussion:
  • Prior to completing this Forum Discussion assignment, please carefully read the details and guidance presented in the final project descriptor; Section E.iv is most relevant this week.

    Original Contribution:

    Discuss the intervention development process for your research project: Once community data are collected and reviewed, the researcher and community partners will engage in a decision-making process focused on how to address the health issue. Considering Dr. Sam Kaner’s question, “How do you want to make [this decision-making tool/model] work for you and your culture?,” how will you assure that both researchers and community partners have a voice in the decision-making process within your research proposal?

    Cite the materials that informed your response. Request specific feedback and suggestions from your colleagues. What aspects of the decision-making process are especially challenging for your research problem? How might your colleagues assist?

    Response Post:

    Choose the original contribution of a colleague who has not yet received feedback. Consider your colleague’s response to this week’s research focus, as well as their specific request for feedback. Provide new ideas to consider and posit questions that will help them deepen their thinking.

• Analysis of CBPR Principles: Communication, information sharing and joint decision making
  • Dr. Sam Kaner discusses the influence of individual and group dynamics on, and the natural challenges of, the decision-making processes within communities. He asserts, “Just because you have an inclusive, participatory process does not mean everybody has to be in on everything.” Using examples from this week’s readings and lectures, describe at least one collaborative decision-making process that has been used within communities. Do/Does the example/examples support Dr. Kaner’s perspective? Why or why not?

Week 7: Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility in CBPR

Weekly Outcomes

• Articulate the differences between cultural competence and cultural humility.

Required Materials

• Minkler & Wallerstein:
  • Chapter 15
  • Appendix A
• Isaacson M. Clarifying concepts: cultural humility or competency. Journal of Professional Nursing. 2014;30(3):251-258. This article is available online through the UNE Library: Enter the full article title in the Quick Search field at http://une.edu/library

Lecture and Other Viewings

• Week Seven Lecture
• Research Proposal Overview (repeat from week 1)
• Vivian Chavez. “Cultural Humility in Community-Based Participatory Research & Education, Part 3 of 4.” YouTube. Published August 2, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cEXqNDOHqM Accessed September 15, 2016.
• Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research. “Community Based Participatory Research in Aboriginal Communities; Creating an Ethical Space.” YouTube. Published May 13, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuYzwW725rY Accessed September 15, 2016.

Recommended Materials

• University of Washington. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill Building Curriculum. Appendix A: Selected Organizations and Websites
• Israel et al: Chapter 2 (Strategy 2 pages 53-57)

Assignments

• Discussion: 

  • Original Contribution:

    How did the researchers on the aboriginal CBPR project demonstrate cultural competence, as described by Isaacson? In what ways, if any, did they show cultural humility? What ethical issues were addressed, either positively or negatively, through the researcher’s engagement with the community?

    Response Post:

    Respond to the original contribution of at least one colleague. Build on their contribution by comparing their ideas to yours. What is something new they offer? What ideas can you offer to them?

• Final research proposal submission

Week 8: Reflections on CBPR

Weekly Outcomes

• Practice self-reflection and critique skills that demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement in CBPR implementation.

Required Materials

• Minkler & Wallerstein: Chapter 21
• UNM Health Science Center. “CBPR: History, Context, Principles, Challenges, Steps” by Dr. Nina Wallerstein at the 2016 Summer CBPR Institute at the University of New Mexico. Vimeo. June 2016. https://vimeo.com/169307622. Accessed September 13, 2016.

Lecture and Other Viewing Material

• Week 8 Lecture

Assignments

• No discussion this week.
• Analysis of CBPR Principles: Continuum of Community Engagement in Research
  • Now that you’ve completed the course, take another look at Nina Wallerstein’s presentation that was required viewing in Week 1. She describes the “Continuum of Community Research,” which refers to a researcher-community balance that promotes equitable partnerships and shared accountability. Reflecting on your final project, where does your proposed research partnership fall along the continuum? Are you conducting research “on” a community? “In” a community? Or “with” a community? To what extent are decisions made collectively? To what extent are decisions directed by community partners? What changes, if any, would you make to move your partnership closer to the “with” end of the continuum, or otherwise strengthen the partnership according to Wallerstein’s lecture?

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1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
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