title: A Community Engagement Symposium to Prevent and Improve Stroke Outcomes in Diverse Communities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Racial/ethnic minorities have a higher burden of stroke, but lower awareness and understanding of stroke and its risk factors. Our community-academic collaborative hosted a symposium in South Los Angeles to increase awareness about stroke, provide information on the Los Angeles Stroke Intervention and Research Program (SPIRP), and facilitate bidirectional communication between researchers and community stakeholders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We discuss our partnered approach to increase stroke awareness, elicit community perspectives and perceptions about stroke prevention and research participation, and increase community involvement in research using a community engagement symposium (CES).
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) conference framework to guide symposium planning, implementation and analysis. The morning session included clinical lectures, a panel of researchers describing LA SPIRP, and a panel presentation by stroke caregivers and survivors. In afternoon breakout sessions, attendees identified 1) community-based strategies to prevent stroke and 2) methods to increase recruitment of diverse populations in stroke research studies. Attendees were surveyed about stroke knowledge before and after the morning session. Data from breakout sessions were analyzed using content analysis and pile sorting to identify themes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that the CES based on CPPR principles was effective method to increase short-term stroke awareness and stimulate discussion about stroke research among community members and community stakeholders who serve racial/ethnic minorities.
authors.forename: Nazleen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bharmal
authors.forename: Anna Aziza
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lucas-Wright
authors.forename: Stefanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Vassar
authors.forename: Felica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Rebekah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cienega
authors.forename: Arleen F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003256:Community Participation; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult