Addressing urban health in Detroit, New York City, and Seattle through community-based participatory research partnerships.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes key activities integral to the development of 3 community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships.


METHODS
We compared findings from individual case studies conducted at 3 urban research centers (URCs) to identify crosscutting adaptations of a CBPR approach in the first 4 years of the partnerships' development.


RESULTS
Activities critical in partnership development include sharing decision-making, defining principles of collaboration, establishing research priorities, and securing funding. Intermediate outcomes were sustained CBPR partnerships, trust within the partnerships, public health research programs, and increased capacity to conduct CBPR. Challenges included the time needed for meaningful collaboration, concerns regarding sustainable funding, and issues related to institutional racism.


CONCLUSIONS
The URC experiences suggest that CBPR can be successfully implemented in diverse settings.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mail Stop K67, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA. mmetzler@cdc.gov
Marilyn M
MM
Metzler
Donna L
DL
Higgins
Carolyn G
CG
Beeker
Nicholas
N
Freudenberg
Paula M
PM
Lantz
Kirsten D
KD
Senturia
Alison A
AA
Eisinger
Edna A
EA
Viruell-Fuentes
Bookda
B
Gheisar
Ann-Gel
AG
Palermo
Donald
D
Softley
D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006292:Health Priorities; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008824:Michigan; D009519:New York City; D011287:Prejudice; D016730:Program Development; D011634:Public Health; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D014504:Urban Health; D014861:Washington