title: Measurement of community empowerment in three community programs in Rapla (Estonia).
abstract: Community empowerment approaches have been proven to be powerful tools for solving local health problems. However, the methods for measuring empowerment in the community remain unclear and open to dispute. This study aims to describe how a context-specific community empowerment measurement tool was developed and changes made to three health promotion programs in Rapla, Estonia. An empowerment expansion model was compiled and applied to three existing programs: Safe Community, Drug/HIV Prevention and Elderly Quality of Life. The consensus workshop method was used to create the measurement tool and collect data on the Organizational Domains of Community Empowerment (ODCE). The study demonstrated considerable increases in the ODCE among the community workgroup, which was initiated by community members and the municipality's decision-makers. The increase was within the workgroup, which had strong political and financial support on a national level but was not the community's priority. The program was initiated and implemented by the local community members, and continuous development still occurred, though at a reduced pace. The use of the empowerment expansion model has proven to be an applicable, relevant, simple and inexpensive tool for the evaluation of community empowerment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Political Science and Governance, University of Tallinn, Narva mnt 10-120, Tallinn, Estonia. anu.kasmel@gmail.com
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasmel
authors.forename: Pernille Tanggaard
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003256:Community Participation; D004957:Estonia; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control