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Despite community health centers' substantial role in local communities and in the broader safety-net healthcare system, very limited research has been conducted on community health center research experience, infrastructure, or needs from a national perspective. A national survey of 386 community health centers was conducted in 2011 and 2012 to assess research engagement among community health centers and their perceived needs, barriers, challenges, and facilitators with respect to their involvement in public health and health services research. This paper analyzes the differences between health centers that currently conduct or participate in research and health centers that have no prior research experience to determine whether prior research experience is indicative of different perceived challenges and research needs in community health center settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends and further validates the quality-of-life/ community-healthcare model and measures developed by Rahtz and Sirgy (2000). The quality of life (QOL) model is based on the theoretical notion that community residents' satisfaction with healthcare services available within their community affects community quality of life and life satisfaction. This study extends the model and, in keeping with past research, posits that the bottom-up spillover from community QOL to life satisfaction is greater for those individuals with low personal health satisfaction, lower income, and old age. Data were collected from 1094 community residents in the East-Coast area of the United States. The results provide good support of the new model. Managerial implications and applications for the new model are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rates of interpersonal violence at the national level in the United States exceed those of other industrialized nations; evidence of violence exists at the state level as well. Yet, data that identify the magnitude of the problem, pertinent risk factors, and efficacy of intervention efforts are limited. Faculty at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health conducted a survey to assess the extent to which violence prevention research and programmatic efforts exist statewide. Study findings served as a basis for developing a relevant research agenda and prioritizing limited academic resources. This paper describes the survey and development of an academic-community partnership that fosters collaborative research on violence prevention that will hopefully contribute to control of the violence epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]