title: Evaluating a community based participatory approach to research with disadvantaged women in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
abstract: This manuscript presents the evaluation of a 3 year community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach involving the testing of a psychosocial intervention to improve reproductive and mental health of married women in a disadvantaged community in Beirut, Lebanon. The community-based participatory approach involved a community advisory committee (CAC), a local women committee (LWC), and university researchers. The evaluation of the CBPR approach followed qualitative assessment which included: analysis of compiled field notes and minutes of meetings of CAC and LWC throughout the 3 years of the intervention, and focus group discussions and individual interviews conducted with the CAC and the LWC members following completion of the trial. The CBPR approach confirmed feasibility, cultural adequacy, as well as representation of community needs. Five main emerging themes came out of the FGD and interviews with CAC and LWC. The community and women involved viewed that the CBPR approach allowed for a good understanding of the community, they felt ownership of the study, acknowledged that participation gave the women voices, and established trust, and acknowledged the challenges faced. This manuscript describes how the community was involved, reports on their evaluation of the CBPR process, and discusses challenges to CBPR in this particular context.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Population and Health, Epidemiology and Population Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Riad el Solh 1107 2020, P.O.Box: 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon. loulou.kobeissi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Loulou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kobeissi
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakkash
authors.forename: Zeina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ghantous
authors.forename: Maya Abou
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yassin
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*