A case study of a community-university multidisciplinary partnership approach to increasing physical activity participation among people with spinal cord injury.
Over the past decade, increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of health behavior change research being conducted in partnership with the beneficiaries of the intended research outcomes. Although such an approach should enhance the relevance of the research and the uptake of findings, it raises challenges regarding how best to cultivate and sustain meaningful partnerships to accomplish these goals. In this paper, we provide a case study of SCI Action Canada-a multidisciplinary team partnership approach to increasing physical activity among adults with spinal cord injuries. The research and knowledge mobilization phases are described. In addition, preliminary indicators of partnership success and key informant interviews are presented to highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with using a community-university partnership approach to influence positive health behavior change.
Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Ivor Wynne Centre, East Building, Rm E212, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada.
Kathleen A Martin
KA
Ginis
Amy
A
Latimer-Cheung
Sonya
S
Corkum
Spero
S
Ginis
Peter
P
Anathasopoulos
Kelly
K
Arbour-Nicitopoulos
Heather
H
Gainforth
Community-based research; Disability; Exercise; Knowledge mobilization; Quadriplegia; Sports; Tetraplegia