title: Stirring up the mud: using a community-based participatory approach to address health disparities through a faith-based initiative.
abstract: This case study provides a mid-course assessment of the Bronx Health REACH faith-based initiative four years into its implementation. The study uses qualitative methods to identify lessons learned and to reflect on the benefits and challenges of using a community-based participatory approach for the development and evaluation of a faith-based program designed to address health disparities. Key findings concern the role of pastoral leadership, the importance of providing a religious context for health promotion and health equality messages, the challenges of creating a bilingual/bi-cultural program, and the need to provide management support to the lay program coordinators. The study also identifies lessons learned about community-based evaluation and the importance of addressing community concern about the balance between evaluation and program. Finally, the study identifies the challenges that lie ahead, including issues of program institutionalization and sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Public Service Research, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School for Public Service, New York University, USA.
authors.forename: Sue A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Charmaine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruddock
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Golub
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Devia
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barretto
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Evalina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Irish-Spencer
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchena
authors.forename: Ellenrita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Purcaro
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Calman
mesh_terms: D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003469:Culture; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D019303:Multilingualism; D009519:New York City; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*