@article{2348c9a73d84457fb8659dc37eeb35b4,
title = "A qualitative exploration of the community partner experience in a faith-based breast cancer educational intervention",
abstract = "Although community partner engagement is a key component in faith-based health promotion/disease prevention intervention research, the perspective of community partners on their experiences in the intervention process has been infrequently investigated. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 African-American community partners [i.e. four pastors and eight lay health co-ordinators (LHCs)] from eight churches in greater Baltimore, MD, USA, that engaged in a breast cancer educational intervention that followed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed, coded and content analysis was used to identify themes across the codes. Findings show that pastors support a holistic approach to health and that LHCs act as a link between the pastors, participants and academic researchers. In addition, pastors and LHCs emphasized that the religious and/or spiritual program elements should not overpower the importance of reaching participants with critical health information regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs. Study findings suggest that faith-based educational intervention efforts that follow a CBPR approach are important in promoting cancer awareness in the African-American community. Including community partner assessment can further elucidate critical intervention impacts and helps to address health disparities in underserved communities.",
author = "Rodriguez, {Elisa M.} and Bowie, {Janice V.} and Shannon Frattaroli and Andrea Gielen",
note = "Funding Information: Can a Faith-Based Participatory Intervention Study Increase Breast Health Care Participation in African American Women? A Randomized Comparison was a faith-based breast cancer educational intervention study that employed a CBPR approach in part by recognizing and applying {\textquoteleft}eight key principles of community-based research{\textquoteright} (see Table I for list of principles and illustrative examples of their application in the faith-based study) [3]. The research was funded by the Susan G. Komen foundation and involved eight African-American churches in the greater Baltimore, MD, USA, region. Each pastor from the participating churches designated a lay health co-ordinator (LHC) to represent their church community and participate in the planning, implementation and follow-up of the intervention programs. Using the theme of the churches{\textquoteright} annual women{\textquoteright}s day, each LHC designed and hosted a program at their church. The scope of their programs was determined by random assignment to one of three formats: a {\textquoteleft}standard{\textquoteright} program that included a focus on overall health, a {\textquoteleft}breast health{\textquoteright} care program that focused exclusively on breast health issues and a {\textquoteleft}comprehensive{\textquoteright} care program that addressed all relevant cancer sites. The study was designed to measure the relative impact of these three program formats on participants{\textquoteright} reported screening knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Results from the baseline survey data collected during the Women{\textquoteright}s Health Day programs are presented elsewhere [13].",
year = "2009",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1093/her/cyp010",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "24",
pages = "760--771",
journal = "Health Education Research",
issn = "0268-1153",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "5",
}