Introduction
We should encourage our communities to engage in different health-related research projects. The “approach will make it easier to develop the best models of care delivery” (Ford et al., 2012, p. 250). Such models of care should also incorporate the social, economic, demographic, and cultural needs of every targeted community. This fact explains why community-based participatory research (CBPR) has become a common practice today. This paper examines how I will use CBPR to address the problem of malaria in the African American community.
Using Community-Based Participatory Research
According to Eder, Tobin, Proser, and Shin (2012, p. 228), “communities of color tend to suffer disproportionately from various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, malaria, and HIV/Aids”. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) can help many communities achieve the best health goals.
The approach can make it easier for medical practitioners to develop better solutions for various diseases and health challenges. Many African Americans do not have access to quality health services. This situation explains why the African American community continues to encounter many health challenges.
The targeted health issue is malaria. As mentioned earlier, many people of color in America live in poverty. Such individuals have continued to face numerous challenges because of inequality. Many African American communities lack proper health services (Eder et al., 2012). Some health complications such as malaria, HIV/Aids, cancer, and stroke are common among people of color. This explains why CBPR can make a difference in my targeted community.
There are several principles of CBPR. Researchers and medical practitioners can use such principles to deal with disparities in different communities. One of the best principles is “Empowerment” (Boutin-Foster et al., 2012, p. 2181). This principle “encourages empowerment and co-learning” (Ford et al., 2012, p. 252). I am planning to use the principle because it can alleviate every health inequality in the targeted community.
The first approach is encouraging more community members to be part of the research. The community will use its knowledge to identify the major health challenges affecting its people. The next approach is highlighting the best practices towards dealing with malaria. The research will identify the best results because the community will have participated in the process. For instance, the community will appreciate the importance of using treated mosquito nets. The “community will also clear bushes and drain stagnant water” (Ford et al., 2012, p. 259).
Researchers and practitioners can use an alternative CBPR principle to address different health disparities in their communities. For example, medical researchers can use “Equal Participation” to deal with health disparity in a specific urban community. Such a community will include individuals from different racial or religious backgrounds.
The principal will encourage every community member to participate in the research. Every individual will offer the best ideas to improve the health status of the community (Boutin-Foster et al., 2013). The practice will also address the problem of health inequality by availing the best health interventions. A good example is the city of Chicago. Healthcare workers can use the above principle to inform the people of Chicago about the best health practices.
Conclusion
Health care disparity is a major problem in every society. Healthcare researchers should use the best CBPR principles to deal with disparities in different communities. Such principles make it easier for caregivers to create better communities. They can also deal with every challenge affecting different societies. Every community should use such principles to improve its health conditions and outcomes.
Reference List
Boutin-Foster, C., Scott, E., Melendez, J., Rodriguez, A., Ramos, R., Kanna, B.,…Michelen, W. (2013). Ethical considerations for conducting health disparities research in community health centers: A socio-ecological perspective. American Journal of Public Health, 103(12), 2179-2184.
Eder, M., Tobin, N., Proser, M., & Shin, P. (2012). Special issue introduction: Building a stronger science of community-engaged research. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 6(3), 227-230.
Ford, M., Wahlquist, M., Blake, R., Green, C., Streets, J., Fuller, E.,…Garrett-Mayer, E. (2012). Assessing an intervention to improve clinical trial perceptions among predominately African-American communities in South Carolina. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 6(3), 249-263.