title: The main advantages of community based participatory health programs: an experience from the islamic republic of iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community based participatory program is an approach that emphasize on community empowerment as an important tool in health promotion especially in low and middle income countries. This article presents findings from a study of assessing performed participatory community based health programs in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a qualitative study using focus group discussions. Thirteen community based programs related to health that were active for last five years were selected and assessed. Data analysis was based on deductive-inductive content analysis approach considering the predetermined structure according to study questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, strengths points of community participatory health programs based on the locality of the implementation of the programs; governmental organization and nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) were evaluated. The main strengths of these programs were the presence of the spirit of empathy and high motivation in working for community, absorbing the community assistance, community empowerment, presence of female volunteers, using local volunteers, creation of social prestige and evidence based decision making for community problem solving.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Capacity building of the community, NGOs and policymakers plays key role in participation mechanisms, partnership, team working and mobilizing of necessary resources in the promotion of participatory community based health programs.
authors.affiliation: Udersecretary for Research and Technology- Ministry of Health and MEdical Education, Tehran, Iran. kfalahat@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Monir Baradarn
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Eftekhari
authors.forename: Katayoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falahat
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dejman
authors.forename: Ameneh Setareh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Forouzan
authors.forename: Hossein Malek
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Afzali
authors.forename: Noot
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirabzadeh
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D009042:Motivation; D011209:Power, Psychological; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D014838:Volunteers