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Establishing the Canadian HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS): Operationalizing Community-based Research in a Large National Quantitative Study
- Source :
- BMC Medical Research Methodology, Vol 16, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2016), BMC Medical Research Methodology
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- BMC, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Background: Community-based research has gained increasing recognition in health research over the last two decades. Such participatory research approaches are lauded for their ability to anchor research in lived experiences, ensuring cultural appropriateness, accessing local knowledge, reaching marginalized communities, building capacity, and facilitating research-to-action. While having these positive attributes, the community-based health research literature is predominantly composed of small projects, using qualitative methods, and set within geographically limited communities. Its use in larger health studies, including clinical trials and cohorts, is limited. We present the Canadian HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS), a large-scale, multi-site, national, longitudinal quantitative study that has operationalized community-based research in all steps of the research process. Successes, challenges and further considerations are offered. Discussion: Through the integration of community-based research principles, we have been successful in: facilitating a two-year long formative phase for this study; developing a novel survey instrument with national involvement; training 39 Peer Research Associates (PRAs); offering ongoing comprehensive support to PRAs; and engaging in an ongoing iterative community-based research process. Our community-based research approach within CHIWOS demanded that we be cognizant of challenges managing a large national team, inherent power imbalances and challenges with communication, compensation and volunteering considerations, and extensive delays in institutional processes. It is important to consider the iterative nature of community-based research and to work through tensions that emerge given the diverse perspectives of numerous team members. Conclusions: Community-based research, as an approach to large-scale quantitative health research projects, is an increasingly viable methodological option. Community-based research has several advantages that go hand-in-hand with its obstacles. We offer guidance on implementing this approach, such that the process can be better planned and result in success.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Canada
Community-Based Participatory Research
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Research methodology
Epidemiology
Process (engineering)
Sexual Behavior
CHIWOS
Participatory action research
Health Informatics
HIV Infections
Formative assessment
Cohort Studies
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Community-based research
Surveys and Questionnaires
Correspondence
Medicine
Humans
Women
030212 general & internal medicine
Reproductive health
lcsh:R5-920
030505 public health
Operationalization
business.industry
Management science
HIV
Public relations
Clinical trial
Women's Health Services
Reproductive Health
Female
0305 other medical science
business
Cohort study
lcsh:Medicine (General)
Qualitative research
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712288
- Volume :
- 16
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Medical Research Methodology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3defe792597152df95faa2cf57bf0ee9