title: A community-based participatory planning process and multilevel intervention design: toward eliminating cardiovascular health inequities.
abstract: The elimination of persistent health inequities requires the engagement of multiple perspectives, resources, and skills. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is one approach to developing action strategies that promote health equity by addressing contextual as well as individual-level factors, and that can contribute to addressing more fundamental factors linked to health inequity. Yet many questions remain about how to implement participatory processes that engage local insights and expertise, are informed by the existing public health knowledge base, and build support across multiple sectors to implement solutions. This article describes a CBPR approach used to conduct a community assessment and action planning process, culminating in development of a multilevel intervention to address inequalities in cardiovascular disease in Detroit, Michigan. The authors consider implications for future efforts to engage communities in developing strategies toward eliminating health inequities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 734-647-0221, USA. amy@schulz.com
authors.forename: Amy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: Chris M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Coombe
authors.forename: Causandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaines
authors.forename: Angela G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sand
authors.forename: Larkin L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Sheryl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weir
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D004779:Environment Design; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011204:Poverty Areas; D014505:Urban Population