Community Based Participatory Research: The Application and Lessons Learned from a Study with LGB College Students

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are members of a vulnerable group where health disparities have been identified. To gain a better understanding of the LGB college student healthcare experience and its contribution to the healthcare disparities found in LGB population, a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach was used to fill the gap. This paper will outline the CBPR process with an emphasis on how the principle investigator applied the tenets of CBPR when working with a local LGB college community. Several lessons learned from the research process are also shared in this paper

Exploring Healthcare Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual College Students Using Community-Based Participatory Research: A Dissertation

Little is known about the healthcare experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults (ages 18-24) and even less is known about LGB college students (ages 18-24). Helping LGB college students effectively access appropriate, sensitive healthcare has the potential to reduce negative long-term health consequences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the healthcare experiences of LGB college students (ages 18-24) in the local college community using community-based participatory research (CBPR). Three online synchronous focus groups and one online individual interview were conducted with 19 LGB college students between January and February 2011. The focus groups were segmented into lesbian (n= 7), gay (n= 7), and female bisexual (n = 4) groups. One male bisexual was interviewed individually. The mean age of the sample was 20.7 years (SD = 1.2, range = 19-24). The sample was predominately White non-Hispanic (85%). Qualitative content analysis was used to describe the healthcare experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students in the local community. One overarching theme (not all the same), one main theme (comfort during the clinical encounter), three sub themes (personalizing the clinical encounter, deciding to disclose and social stigma, and seeking support of self-identified sexual orientation) and one preliminary sub theme (perceived confidentiality) emerged from the analysis. One major action emerged from the analysis and supported the development of the social network site (on Facebook) entitled: College Alliance Towards Community Health (CATCH). The mission of CATCH is to provide LGB college students in the local community with a comfortable forum to learn about various healthcare concerns of lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students. Additional implications for nursing practice and implications for further research in the LGB college community are addressed

Services and Resources for People Living with HIV/AIDS in the Southcoast of Massachusetts: “Can’t Get There From Here!”

Fall River and New Bedford, two diverse and economically challenged cities in the Southcoast region of Massachusetts, are areas of substantial concern in the effort to reduce HIV incidence and to provide effective services for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Commonwealth. In these two communities, HIV disparately impacts marginalized populations, with particularly high infection and prevalence rates among men who have sex with men and injection drug users in comparison to other Massachusetts localities. This project used community engaged research principles to conduct a community assessment guided by the social determinants of health. The primary goal of this study was to identify the gaps in resources and services and highlight challenges and barriers to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in Fall River and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Transportation was a major barrier in not accessing available community services and resources

Creative Approaches to Building Community Research Partnerships: Resources and Collaborations

Moderator: Robin A. Robinson, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Session Description The purpose of this interdisciplinary breakout session is to present several different approaches to the perception, creation, and implementation of community engaged research partnerships, and the range of funding sources that support them. Panelists will present brief descriptions of their projects and funding, followed by the UMass Dartmouth Research Development Manager’s insights and suggestions concerning the funding of successful matches of academic researchers and community research partners. Session Presenters, Titles and Descriptions Caitlin M. Stover, PhD, RN, PHCNS-BC, CNE, College of Nursing, Department of Community Nursing Community Based Participatory Research with Community Health Workers of the Southcoast Region My community partner and I had several ideas and projects that we wanted to work on together. To help organize our thoughts and deliverables, we applied for a spot in the first cohort of the Community Based Participatory Research Academy, a grant funded week-long course presented by the University Of Michigan School Of Public Health and the Detroit Urban Research Center. Spending a week with community engaged researchers and community leaders focused the academic-community partnership of UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing Assistant Professor Caitlin Stover and Community Leader Kathleen Murphy to promote the health of Southcoast region by mobilizing and building the capacity of Community Health Workers in the region. Monthly guided video conferences/workshops/virtual communications conducted by our assigned mentors (one community based mentor and one academic mentor) and the core of community engaged researchers assisted us in receiving a non-competitive Community Partnership Building Grant, creating and accomplishing short and long term goals, all while providing expert mentorship in applying the CBPR tenets to our work. Andrea Klimt, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Sociology & Anthropology Pride of Place: The Potential of Collaborative Photography The Fall River Portraits project brought together university sociology and anthropology students, local high school students, and senior citizens to photographically document the complex social realities of a small economically-struggling Massachusetts city. Project photographers documented the impact of decades of economic decline on the social fabric and built environment of this urban space as well as evidence of cultural vibrancy and resilience in the city’s various neighborhoods. The resulting visual narratives fostered a pride of place and hopeful sense of self-recognition amongst local residents and encouraged the thoughtful engagement with local realities of participating college students. This project was funded by the UMass President\u27s Office, Creative Economy Award. Christina Cipriano, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology Class Interrupted: Improving Under-studied Classroom Environments Funded by the William T. Grant Foundation and recently, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the RELATE Project has been conducting systematic investigations of self-contained classrooms over the past four years across the Northeast. Towards the end of improving outcomes for students and educators in self-contained special education classrooms, we are advancing the science of classroom observation and improving the quality of educational experiences, one classroom at a time. To date, our work has resulted in a new psychometrically validated tool for evaluating effective interactions in these classrooms and an ecologically valid team-based professional development approach for teacher-paraeducator teams. Robin A. Robinson, PhD, PsyD, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Sociology & Anthropology Psychological Foundations of Power and Relational Abuse Amongst Rural and Small-Town Teens Initially funded by a pilot grant from the UMass Medical School CTSA-CER Pilot Program, and in community partnership with the Cape Cod Justice for Youth Collaborative and other member agencies of the Barnstable County Council for Children, Youth, and Families, this multi-stage project addressed the question: What are the conscious and unconscious psychological processes and power dynamics that explain behaviors associated with “teen dating violence”? The strong collaborative, and integrated, relationship that already existed between the PI and community partners contributed to the success of this pilot study, and facilitated new alliances amongst ancillary agencies. Collaborations has included regional organization of focus groups across Barnstable County (Cape Cod) to produce a data pool of first-person perspectives of teen relationships and violence in contexts of community challenges and supports. The work has considered diverse social and economic contexts as variable forces that affect psychological processes, to explore the psychology of teen relational abuse. Mary Hensel, Research Development Manager, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Research Development Strategies for Community Engaged Research Partnership

Comparison of bone mineral density between male masters runners and cyclists

Click on the link to access this abstract at the publisher's website.For maintenance of bone mass during adulthood, it is commonly recommended to participate in relatively high level weight-bearing exercise. Weight-bearing exercise includes aerobic activities such as jogging or activities that produce high ground reaction forces such as jumping. Cycling is a popular form of aerobic exercise for older adults due to the reduced impact on the weight-bearing joints. However, due to the unloaded nature of cycling, some data suggest that bone mineral density at clinically important sites is reduced in cyclists. PURPOSE: To compare areal bone mineral density (aBMD) of the lumbar spine and non-dominant proximal femur between male masters runners and male masters cyclists. METHODS: Eight male masters runners (mean ± SD, age: 58.9 ± 4.4 yrs, height: 175.3 ± 6.9 cm, weight: 75.1 ± 14.3 kg) and eight male masters cyclists (mean ± SD, age: 63.8 ± 5.9 yrs, height: 176.8 ± 5.8 cm, weight: 76.8 ± 8.3 kg) underwent a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan for assessment of aBMD of the non-dominant proximal femur (total hip and femoral neck) and lumbar spine (L1-L4) as well as percent body fat (%BF), and bone free lean body mass (BFLM). Data were analyzed using Independent Samples t-tests with an alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, height, or weight between groups. Compared to masters cyclists, masters runners did not show any significant differences in %BF (16.8 ± 3.6 vs. 16.0 ± 3.3%, p=0.679), BFLM(59.1 ± 9.1 vs. 61.2 ± 7.6, p=0.618), lumbar spine aBMD (1.041 ± 0.130 vs. 0.991 ± 0.062, p=0.346), total hip aBMD (0.989 ± 0.152 vs. 0.917 ± 0.079, p=0.257), or femoral neck aBMD (0.816 ± 0.111 vs. 0.730 ± 0.074, p=0.090). CONCLUSION: Our preliminary findings suggest that male masters cyclists and runners do not differ in aBMD. However, our current findings are likely influenced by the small sample size which will be addressed in the near future