title: Participatory research in a Native Hawaiian community. The Wai'anae Cancer Research Project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community participation was a key component of a cancer control research project in a Native Hawaiian community. This project tested the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate intervention as a means of increasing breast and cervical cancer screening practices among Native Hawaiian women on the Wai'anae Coast of the island of O'ahu.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Wai'anae Cancer Research project was community driven, with Native Hawaiian community representatives involved in all phases of the project, from grant proposal development to data interpretation. A community health center administered the grant award from the National Cancer Institute. The policymaking steering committee included community representatives, health professionals, and researchers to balance community and scientific quality standards. A factor in the project's success was continuous involvement over 7 years by a core of community representatives and professional staff.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 500 women participated in the intervention, and outcome measures indicated that there was a community wide impact on cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Important contributions of the project also included direct economic benefits, improvements in health services and systems, increased research capabilities, and dissemination of findings to other communities and researchers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community participation in all phases of the research was essential in generating community acceptance and resulted in an innovative and effective intervention. This participatory research project has left the community richer in knowledge, skills, experience, confidence, and resources. These qualities provide a strong foundation for building future programs and research.
authors.affiliation: Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Enos
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Gotay
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Banner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: DeCambra
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hedlund
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Ilaban
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Issell
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tsark
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003153:Community Health Services; D003256:Community Participation; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006254:Hawaii / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control