A "Community Fit" Community-Based Participatory Research Program for Family Health, Happiness, and Harmony: Design and Implementation.
BACKGROUND
A principal factor in maintaining positive family functioning and well-being, family communication time is decreasing in modern societies such as Hong Kong, where long working hours and indulgent use of information technology are typical.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this paper is to describe an innovative study protocol, "Happy Family Kitchen," under the project, "FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society," aimed at improving family health, happiness, and harmony (3Hs) through enhancement of family communication.


METHODS
This study employed the community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, and adopted 5 principles of positive psychology and the traditional Chinese concepts of cooking and dining, as a means to connect family members to promote family health, happiness, and harmony (3Hs).


RESULTS
In-depth collaboration took place between an academic institution and a large nongovernmental community organization association (NGO association) with 400 social service agency members. Both groups were deeply involved in the project design, implementation, and evaluation of 23 community-based interventions. From 612 families with 1419 individuals' findings, significant increases in mean communication time per week (from 153.44 to 170.31 minutes, P=.002) at 6 weeks after the intervention and mean communication scores (from 67.18 to 69.56 out of 100, P<.001) at 12 weeks after the intervention were shown. Significant enhancements were also found for mean happiness scores 12 weeks after the intervention (from 7.80 to 7.82 out of 10, P<.001), and mean health scores (from 7.70 to 7.73 out of 10, P<.001) and mean harmony scores (from 7.70 to 8.07 out of 10, P<.001) 6 weeks after the intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
This was the first CBPR study in a Hong Kong Chinese community. The results should be useful in informing collaborative intervention programs and engaging public health researchers and community social service providers, major stakeholders, and community participants in the promotion of family well-being. Furthermore, this study has generated an effective practice model for the improvement of family communication and well-being. Challenges in maintaining research rigor during data collection and program implementation were observed, and should be considered during future program planning.
School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong).
Cissy Ss
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2024-8762
CS
Soong
Man Ping
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4000-2388
MP
Wang
Moses
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3492-2527
M
Mui
Kasisomayajula
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4795-5803
K
Viswanath
Tai Hing
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2033-9971
TH
Lam
Sophia Sc
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6349-3717
SS
Chan
communication; community-based participatory research; family; happiness; harmony; health