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Background: Pictou Landing First Nation (PLFN), a small Mi'kmaw community on the Canadian east coast, has had a relationship with a tidal estuary known as A'se'k for millennia. In the 1960s, it became the site of effluent disposal from a nearby pulp mill. Almost immediately, health concerns regularly and consistently reverberated throughout the community., Objectives: The Pictou Landing Native Women's Group (PLNWG) formed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership with an academic team to conceptualize community well-being in the context of environment and human health connections. This paper documents Mi'kmaw Elders' stories of A'se'k before it became contaminated., Methods: Using narrative inquiry vis-à-vis oral histories, we carried out conversational interviews with 10 Elders from PLFN. These interviews were thematically analyzed and 're-storied' through a process of (w)holistic content analysis., Results: Our findings present four broad story layers, recounting the themes that emerged through analysis and presenting a broad Mi'kmaw narrative of A'se'k. These story layers share: what A'se'k originally provided, the historical/cultural context of PLFN, changes to land and health after the mill was put in, and reflections on the past and future of A'se'k., Conclusions: Our research offers a novel contribution to the literature by showing how Mi'kmaw perspectives on the pollution at A'se'k reveal the close connection between Mi'kmaw livelihood, local ecologies, and health and well-being. Our research also provides insights into the way the research relationship developed between the PLNWG and the academic team, providing a pathway for others seeking to decolonize the research landscape.

Background: While correctional systems often function separately from academic and community-based organizations, there is opportunity for mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships to strengthen services and relationships. Community-academic partnerships (CAPs) are a well-established model in implementation science and in scientific literature. Applying best practices for CAPs to a partnership that includes community, academic, and correctional partners could contribute to a stronger partnership with more capacity to improve population health of people who experience incarceration., Objectives: To describe our work to identify CAP best practices, and to discuss considerations and approaches for applying these best practices in an emerging community- academic-corrections partnership., Methods: From the scientific literature, we identified best practices for CAPs across nine domains: bringing the community into the project; building new relationships while addressing the past; establishing mutually beneficial vision, goals, and purpose; roles and expectations of partners; communication; administration; leadership; project implementation and evaluation; and building community capacity and awareness. In this paper we describe considerations from the perspective of the academic partner regarding these nine best practice domains in the development of a community-academic-corrections partnership., Conclusions: While established CAP best practices have relevance, there are specific considerations for partnerships with correctional authorities that require attention. Informed by best practices, planning and preparation for partnership can help mitigate challenges, support effectiveness, and strengthen relationships.

Background: Community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) is a research approach that supports equitable collaboration of community and academic co-leaders in research and policy. Despite CPPR's 25-year history, infrastructure supporting community members in bidirectional learning has not been formalized., Objective: This paper describes processes and procedures using CPPR to plan conferences to develop community leadership training infrastructure., Methods: We utilized rapid ethnographic analysis to examine conference planning processes for community leadership in CPPR. Community and academic leaders in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Chicago met weekly over two months to plan, given COVID-19, three Zoom conferences on a leadership training institute for CPPR, with planning for (1) community co-leadership in research and policy; (2) local and national CPPR programs; and (3) models for bidirectional training., Results: The planning process emphasized bidirectional learning for community and academic members for research and services/policy to benefit communities, within a Community Leadership Institute for Equity (C-LIFE) to promote equity and power sharing for community leaders. The planning process identified major themes of framing of C-LIFE conference planning goals, developing the conference structure, promoting equity and diversity, envisioning the future of CPPR, challenges, collaborations, future curriculum ideas for C-LIFE, evaluation and next-steps for Zoom conferences in November 2020., Conclusions: It was feasible to use CPPR to plan Zoom conferences to promote community leadership training across multiple sites. Key planning themes included promoting equity, addressing structural racism, bidirectional learning and integrating community, academic, and policy priorities with community co-leaders as change agents.

Background: Networks are an essential component of community-based health research. Community-based networks require a high degree of collaboration, and the quality of this collaboration is a key factor for intervention success. As such, it is important to measure collaboration quality through network evaluation. Established tools, such as social network analysis, primarily measure connections between network members as opposed to network quality. Additionally, only few tools developed for this purpose are used in practice., Methods: This paper describes the process of developing a network assessment tool to measure the quality of network collaboration in practice. To this end, we collaborated with practice partners from a community-based health promotion network and the community health service. We adopted a mixed-methods approach consisting of a literature review and a needs assessment involving practical experts in Germany. On this basis, we developed a new network evaluation tool, the Self-Evaluation Tool for Network Quality Assessment by Practitioners in Community Health Promotion (SNAP-HP), in cyclic-iterative collaboration with our practice partners., Conclusions: The next steps include piloting, evaluating, and adapting the SNAP-HP for final open access.

Background: Health care access is vital to advancing health equity. The purpose of this paper was to use a community-based participatory research approach to engage underserved communities in the development of a new mobile health clinic (MHC) program and to discuss the lessons learned from the conversations. Community conversations helped identify barriers to access to health care, community strengths, and health concerns. They also helped the MHC leaders develop programming., Methods: The community-based participatory research approach guided five community conversations conducted (N = 51 participants) from 2018 to 2019. Participants provided input on their personal experiences with a) existing facilitators and barriers to health, b) priority health issues and needs, and c) recommendations for MHC program development., Results: Barriers to health care access were identified, as were many community strengths. Recommendations directly informed MHC program development and implementation, including availability of services at no cost, mammogram referrals, mental health screening, eye exams, and nutrition counseling., Conclusions: This project highlights the importance of collaboration between academic partners and communities to inform health care programs and the implementation of a MHC based on community voice and input.

Background: Elements of charrette planning were employed to develop and examine the relationship between transnationalism, culture and health., Objective: This paper describes the partnership, the first two stages of the planning charrette and lessons learned., Methods: During charrette planning phase 1 we collected data through social network interviews (n = 58), cultural conversations (n = 88), and photovoice (n = 9). In the second phase we performed five charrette planning meetings. Data were synthesized by the planning team., Lessons Learned: The issue centered focus facilitated trust among partners. The holistic, iterative process to planning and interpreting preliminary data provided a deeper understanding of the issues under investigation. Community partners at the table held us accountable to the communities we were studying and infused an undercurrent of social justice in our work., Conclusions: There are advantages in employing a community engaged transdisciplinary team-based approach to the study of transnationalism, culture and health.

Background: The negative impact of trauma on health is devastating. Providers, especially those in rural areas, require support to implement trauma-informed care (TIC) on a systems level., Objectives: This paper describes a partnership of county behavioral health administrators, service providers, and a behavioral health managed care organization and steps taken over a 5-year initiative to enhance capacity and quality of community services to meet the needs of individuals in a rural setting to receive TIC., Methods: The initiative included trainings in evidence-based and best practices in TIC, improved trauma screening, development of TIC centers, and development of community-based networks for ongoing support. Lessons learned were summarized through discussions between partnership members., Lessons Learned: Shared ownership, opportunity to build networks, and continuous assessment of organizational strengths resulted in successful implementation and sustained practice. Challenges included turnover among staff and organizations., Conclusions: Building a TIC network across a rural health care system can be successful with long-term support and investment from multiple stakeholders.

Background: Black and Latino communities have been disproportionately impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 and we sought to understand perceptions and attitudes in four heavily impacted New Jersey counties to develop and evaluate engagement strategies to enhance access to testing., Objective: To establish a successful academic/community partnership team during a public health emergency by building upon longstanding relationships and using principles from community engaged research., Methods: We present a case study illustrating multiple levels of engagement, showing how we successfully aligned expectations, developed a commitment of cooperation, and implemented a research study, with community-based and health care organizations at the center of community engagement and recruitment., Lessons Learned: This paper describes successful approaches to relationship building including information sharing and feedback to foster reciprocity, diverse dissemination strategies to enhance engagement, and intergenerational interaction to ensure sustainability., Conclusions: This model demonstrates how academic/community partnerships can work together during public health emergencies to develop sustainable relationships.

Background: Creating strong partnerships with community organizations is essential to test implementation of evidence-based interventions. However, partners are often chosen based on convenience rather than capacity or diversity. Streamlined processes are needed to identify qualified, diverse, and invested partners to conduct community-based research., Objectives: There is a gap in the literature on effective and efficient processes for recruiting partners. This paper aims to fill that gap by describing a novel approach for identifying a diverse group of community organizations to participate in research., Methods: We used a Request for Partners (RFP) approach to recruit partners to participate in a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study of the Veggie Van mobile market model. The process included formative work to inform RFP development, creation of an external advisory committee, an intent-to-apply round, a full application round, and an inperson training and selection process. Data was collected to characterize applicant size, location, and experience; pre-post surveys were conducted to understand the training's utility., Results: We received 59 intent-to-apply submissions and invited 28 organizations to apply: 17 submitted applications and 12 organizations were chosen as finalists. The process took approximately 8 months to recruit 9 organizations and 32 community sites across 5 states and increased understanding of the intervention and partner responsibilities., Conclusions: An RFP process is familiar to many community organizations that compete for grant funding but may not have prior research experience. This process streamlined recruitment timelines, increased diversity, and cultivated community among organizations. It may also improve research transparency, study completion, and intervention fidelity.

Background: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) facilitates vulnerable communities and scientists collaborating to address pertinent health issues. For Latinx farmworkers, the employment of children and their resulting morbidity and mortality in the hazardous farm environment is a concern. Communicating child farmworker research results to farmworkers and service providers must take into account their language, literacy, and educational characteristics., Objectives: We describe the collaborative development and dissemination of research findings on child farmworkers by a CBPR partnership with the Latinx farmworker community., Methods: Key points for communication with infographics were abstracted from peer-reviewed research papers. An iterative process sought community partners' input as the research partners developed the infographics., Lessons Learned: We developed infographics on heat-related illness, education, and musculoskeletal impacts of child labor, guided by published criteria for effective infographics. Efforts to disseminate finished infographics needed greater rigor., Conclusions: Infographics provide a means to communicate CBPR findings to community members.

Background: Although studies have described the power imbalance in academic-community partnerships, little has been published describing how community-based participatory research-informed practitioners can change academic institutions to promote more effective community-engaged research., Objectives: This paper describes a university-funded community-based participatory project in which academic researchers and their community partners worked together to articulate, develop and advocate for institutionalizing best practices for equitable partnerships throughout the university., Methods: Findings derive from a collaborative ethnographic process evaluation., Results: The study describes the integral steps proposed to promote equitable community-university research collaboration, the process by which these principles and best practice recommendations were developed, and the institutional change outcomes of this process., Conclusions: When universities make even small investments toward promoting and nurturing community-engaged research, the quality of the science can be enhanced to advance health equity and community-university relationships can improve, particularly if based on trust, mutual respect, and openness to accomplish a shared vision.

Background: Chicago's systemically underserved communities have disproportionately high cancer rates. The Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (ChicagoCHEC) brings together academic and community partners to address these health inequities. The community conversations known as "CHEC-Ins" provide a space for community members to voice their experiences and needs and for ChicagoCHEC to fulfill its commitment to advancing health equity through collaboration and action., Objective: This paper presents a community-generated approach to social networking about cancer health issues known as CHEC-Ins. Through this innovative approach, community members and organizations share cancer related information and experiences, as well as needs and concerns, which are then channeled to ChicagoCHEC academic and administrative members who incorporate them into outreach and research activities. In this way, community members set the agenda and the process and collect the information they deem relevant and important. This paper describes the process of organizing and conducting two pilot CHEC-Ins and the model of this approach, which we intend to employ moving forward to advance partnership building and collaborative research practice between academic institutions and community partners and organizations. This paper contributes a unique model of community-generated and led outreach as a cornerstone of the ChicagoCHEC approach to community engagement., Methods: The leaders of the ChicagoCHEC Community Steering Committee spearheaded the design and implementation of CHEC-Ins, including developing the question guide and hosting events within their organizations., Lessons Learned: CHEC-Ins proved to be a valuable strategy for defining the role of community partners and establishing the basis for a bi-directional flow of information, resources, and productive action. The two pilot CHEC-Ins revealed important insights related to sources of cancer information, meanings and associated attitudes, barriers to access and use of health services, and social support systems in the communities where ChicagoCHEC works. We will implement this approach and continue to refine it as we conduct CHECIns moving forward.

Background: Launched in 2012, the Claremont Healthy Village Initiative (CHVI) is a partnership focused on fostering community collaboration, addressing the social determinants of health, and reducing health disparities. Partners include local community centers, schools, after-school programs, health care providers, a health insurer, city agencies, tenant associations, resident leaders, elected officials, and other stakeholders., Objectives: To understand the development and value of collaboration within the CHVI from the perspective of multiple partners., Methods: Using a community-based participatory research approach, we worked collaboratively with the CHVI leaders, we used paper-and web-based surveys grounded in social network theory were administered in 2017 and 2018. Questions focused on relationships between organizations that are part of the coalition. Our analysis included responses from organizations that participated in the survey at both points in time. Network measures such as density, degree centrality, and node characteristics were used to understand information sharing, referral, and collaboration among the participating organizations. Additional data included stake-holder interviews., Results: Coalition partners increased connectedness with one another over the course of the study, with significantly greater density of relationship and bi-directional partnerships in the follow-up survey. Of the three types of interactions, referrals showed a trend for highest density change. Trust levels were highest among organizations with a local physical presence., Conclusions: Social network analysis provided visual and quantitative information that helped reinforce relationships and identify opportunities to improve connectedness and collaboration among diverse community partners, helping to support the coalition's goals and objectives.

Background: Obesity among children is increasing nationwide, and creative solutions beyond traditional programs designed exclusively by academics are needed to achieve lasting success. One innovative approach that departs from the typical model of exclusive academic design incorporates local community input in designing health-related programs. Such input can lead to more relevant programs and community "buy in," thereby increasing the likelihood of the effectiveness of the program. One approach that incorporates local community input is called community-based participatory research (CBPR) whereby researchers and community partners work together and use the CBPR principles to create and sustain culturally relevant, impactful programs., Objectives: This paper describes how a mixed-methods CBPR approach was used to formulate and implement a needs assessment survey, and how mini-focus groups were used to reinforce the survey findings., Methods: A survey seeking information about physical activity (PA) and dietary behavior was given to 27 families at a school-based event, and a forward stepwise regression was run to identify significant determinants. The results were presented and discussed with community mini-focus groups (n = 20)., Results: The regression models were significant (P < 0.05), where parental support of PA and PA beliefs were significant determinants of moderate to vigorous PA, and water intake, whole grain intake, and fruit and vegetable consumption were the top three significant determinants of dietary behavior. Mini-focus groups reinforced the model results., Conclusions: This approach helped identify the determinants that should be addressed when designing an after school program targeting PA and dietary behavior for minority students attending a school in an underserved community.

Background: Childhood marks the highest risk for allergic sensitization to asthma triggers. Hispanic/Latino children are at higher risk for hospitalization for asthma than non-Hispanic White children. Childcare providers lack knowledge about reducing asthma triggers., Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to describe a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative aimed at developing and pilot testing a bilingual walk-through assessment tool for asthma-friendly childcare environments., Methods: Ten Latina mothers of children with asthma living in the Pacific Northwest collaborated with research partners to develop and pilot test a Childcare Environmental Health (CEH) assessment walk-through survey.Results and Lessons Learned: The women innovated the survey with photography and structural examinations of stress and provision of basic needs. The survey tool identified environmental threats to asthma in all three childcares surveyed., Conclusions: Parents are well-positioned to build trust with childcare providers, assess asthma triggers, and recommend practical mitigation strategies.

Background: One international and three local organizations developed the Santa Ana Women's Health Partnership (SAWHP) to address cervical cancer in Santa Ana Huista, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This paper describes the structure, outcomes, and lessons learned from our community partnership and program., Methods: The community partnership developed a singlevisit approach (SVA) program that guided medically underserved women through screening and treatment of cervical cancer., Lessons Learned: The program promoted acceptability of SVA among rural women by engaging local female leaders and improving access to screening services. The program's approach focused on maximizing access and generated interest beyond the coverage area. Distrust among the community partners and weak financial management contributed to the program's cessation after 4 years., Conclusions: The SAWHP design may guide future implementation of cervical cancer screening programs to reach medically underserved women. Open, ongoing dialogue among leaders in each partner institution is paramount to success.

Background: Community-based research with families is subject to unique challenges in recruiting and enrolling participants, particularly when researchers do not have face-to-face contact with participants., Objectives: To identify strategies that overcome challenges associated with the recruitment and enrollment of family participants from community behavioral health settings into a research study., Methods: We used a case study design to describe lessons learned during the recruitment and enrollment phases of a large-scale study of the implementation of an evidence-based treatment (EBT) across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania., Lessons Learned: Key lessons identified include the early involvement of stakeholders, engaging clinicians in the research process, establishing a research-community relationship, and using a flexible, ongoing recruitment approach., Conclusions: In large-scale community-based research, engagement, recruitment, and enrollment strategies are particularly crucial. The strategies included in this paper are relevant to multiple disciplines involving community-based research.

Background: Academic partners typically build community capacity for research, but few examples exist whereby community partners build community research capacity. This paper describes the benefits of communities sharing their "best practices" with each other for the purpose of building health research capacity., Methods: In the context of a grant designed to engage African American communities to address health disparities (Faith Academic Initiatives Transforming Health [FAITH] in the Delta), leaders of two counties exchanged their "best practices" of creating faith-based networks and community health assessment tools to conduct a collective health assessment., Lessons Learned: There were numerous strengths in engaging communities to build each other's capacity to conduct research. Communities identified with each other, perceived genuineness, conveyed legitimacy, and provided insider knowledge., Conclusions: Engaging communities to build each other's research capacity is a potentially valuable strategy.

Our manuscript highlights the viewpoints and reflections of the native Marshallese community health workers (CHWs) engaged in research with the local Marshallese community in Northwest Arkansas. In particular, this paper documents the vital role Marshallese CHWs play in the success of programs and research efforts. The negative health effects of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands has been passed down through many generations, along with unfavorable attitudes toward the U.S. government and researchers. However, the community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach used by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has allowed the native Marshallese CHWs to become advocates for the Marshallese community. The use of native CHWs has also leveled the power dynamics that can be a barrier to community-based research, and has strengthened trust with community stakeholders. Our paper shows how using Marshallese CHWs can produce positive health outcomes for the Marshallese community.

Background: Community-engaged research partnerships build the capacity of community and educational organizations to work together toward addressing important health issues and disparities for vulnerable populations, such as refugees or immigrants. A critical step for building a community-engaged research partnership is the Thrst contact or entrée into the community., Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how a successful home health community-engaged partnership became the entrée and foundation for a community-engaged research partnership to explore the home health needs of Somali older adults and their families., Methods: A number of strategies were used to engage the Somali community, initially in a clinical home health project and subsequently in an academic research study., Lessons Learned: Valuable lessons were learned on delivering home health care (HHC) services to Somali older adults and their families as well as conducting research with this population. The most important lesson was that none of the work could be done without the involvement of the Somali community. The partnership described is one of the Thrst to address the home health needs and experiences of Somali older adults and their families. The project illustrates a mutually beneThcial relationship that can occur when a community-engaged clinical project expanded to address an issue of importance to the community through research., Conclusions: This foundation served to create an opportunity for more comprehensive community-academic partnerships with the potential to improve the delivery of HHC to Somali older adults, as well as open avenues for research in other areas that are relevant to the Somali, medical, and academic communities.

The Problem: The community health needs assessment (CHNA) mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to make significant and sustainable change in the health of communities. However, to date many hospital-led assessments have used traditional, top-down data collection approaches that overemphasize individualized community member deficits and underutilize collaboration across sectors., Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) as a framework for conducting CHNAs in a way that mitigates the potential for harm, waste, and misrepresentation of community assets and needs that characterizes many existing CHNA processes, illustrating the power of applying CBPR partnerships to this process., Key Points: CBPR is a framework to engage community members directly in research design, the collection and analysis of data, and the creation of action plans that address research findings. Key principles include collaborative involvement, establishment of empowering processes, and long-term commitment. A case example of an innovative community partnership demonstrates the power and challenges of taking a CBPR approach to the CHNA process., Conclusions: CBPR has incredible potential to be incorporated into ACA-mandated hospital CHNAs, leading to increased impact and shared power with community members.

Background: This paper describes a study circle and a series of conversations with a community partner that were part of a project that grew out of a partnership between Native People for Cancer Control, a research program at the University of Washington, and five tribes in Washington, Idaho, and Montana., Methods: Researchers undertook a study circle to build bioethics capacity and, specifically, to better understand the values that should guide community-based participatory research (CBPR)., Results: Study circle members identified five action guiding principles for CBPR: respect tribal sovereignty, promote transparency, hear community priorities, learn from each other, and take collective action. This activity led to a series of conversations between researchers and the chair of Shoalwater Bay Tribe, Charlene Nelson. Nelson suggests the metaphor of "exploration" as a way to think about what good CBPR looks like. Exploration reframes the research enterprise, from a systematic scientific inquiry conducted by academic investigators to a less predictable activity that reaches into the uncontrolled and unknown. We used this metaphor to explore three features of CBPR we believe to be essential to building trust: ongoing commitment and time, direct collaboration with community members and new learning for all involved, and candid and cautious action., Conclusions: The CBPR literature underscores many of these same points; however, we found the metaphorical language offered by Nelson enriched their meaning and deepened study circle members' appreciation of them.

Problem: In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the "Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning" initiative, which targeted funding to the 12 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with the most severe epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus infection to a) develop a plan to align each MSA's HIV prevention plan with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and b) identify and implement the optimal combination of prevention services to reduce new infections., Purpose: This paper describes how the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) partnered with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) to conduct mathematical modeling and economic analyses to inform local planning for resource allocation and intervention design for the Baltimore-Towson MSA., Key Points: The paper outlines the steps of building and implementing that analytic partnership, illustrates how results were discussed with other key stakeholders, and shows how the findings informed local priority setting., Conclusion: The paper demonstrates how health departments, academia, and community partners can jointly use policy modeling to improve resource allocation and address urgent public health challenges.

Background: Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism™ and Equity (ACCURE) is a systems-change intervention addressing disparities in treatment initiation and completion and outcomes for early stage Black and White breast and lung cancer patients. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, ACCURE is guided by a diverse partnership involving academic researchers, a nonprofit community-based organization, its affiliated broader based community coalition, and providers and staff from two cancer centers., Objectives: This paper describes the collaborative process our partnership used to conduct focus groups and to code and analyze the data to inform two components of the ACCURE intervention: 1) a "power analysis" of the cancer care system and 2) the development of the intervention's training component, Healthcare Equity Education and Training (HEET), for cancer center providers and staff., Methods: Using active involvement of community and academic partners at every stage in the process, we engaged Black and White breast and lung cancer survivors at two partner cancer centers in eight focus group discussions organized by race and cancer type. Participants were asked to describe "pressure point encounters" or critical incidents during their journey through the cancer system that facilitated or hindered their willingness to continue treatment. Community and academic members collaborated to plan and develop materials, conduct focus groups, and code and analyze data., Conclusions: A collaborative qualitative data analysis process strengthened the capacity of our community-medical-academic partnership, enriched our research moving forward, and enhanced the transparency and accountability of our research approach.

Background: Limited research has focused on undocumented immigrants' health and access to care., Objectives: This paper describes participant engagement strategies used to investigate the health needs of immigrants eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)., Methods: Community-based strategies engaged advocates and undocumented Californians in study design and recruitment. Outreach in diverse settings, social media, and participant-driven sampling recruited 61 DACA-eligible focus group participants., Lessons Learned: Social media, community-based organizations (CBOs), family members, advocacy groups, and participant-driven sampling were the most successful recruitment strategies. Participants felt engaging in research was instrumental for sharing their concerns with health care providers and policymakers, noteworthy in light of their previously identified fears and mistrust of government officials., Conclusions: Using multiple culturally responsive strategies including participant-driven sampling, engagement with CBOs, and use of social media, those eligible for DACA eagerly engage as research participants. Educating researchers and institutional review boards (IRBs) about legal and safety concerns can improve research engagement.

Background: The Interactive Systems Framework (ISF), a guide for translational research, encourages the balancing of traditional research and community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches., Objectives: This paper focuses on the challenges, solutions, and lessons learned in applying the ISF to our translational research project., Methods: A community-campus partnership translated evidence-based screening guidelines on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and depression into culturally relevant educational materials. Community health workers (CHWs) disseminated the information through a cross-over design to Hispanic women in Pima County, Arizona. Challenges, solutions, and lessons learned were identified throughout this process., Lessons Learned: We identified challenges in the areas of research design, and in the ISF systems of prevention synthesis and translation, prevention support, and prevention delivery. We successfully negotiate solutions between the scientific and local community that resulted in acceptable compromises for both groups., Conclusions: The model presented by the ISF is difficult to achieve, but we offer concrete solutions to community members and scientists to move toward that ideal.

Background: Dissemination is a principle within community-based participatory research (CBPR); however, published research focuses on the dissemination of findings from CBPR projects but less on dissemination of interventions developed through CBPR approaches. To disseminate an evidence-based lifestyle intervention tailored for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, the PILI 'Ohana Project (POP), an 11-year CBPR initiative, developed an innovative dissemination model., Objectives: The community-to-community mentoring (CCM) model described in this paper extends the application of CBPR values and principles used in intervention development to intervention dissemination., Methods: The CCM model combines a CBPR orientation with the diffusion of innovation theory, the social cognitive theory, and key concepts from community organizing and community building to address the multilevel factors that influence uptake of an evidence-based intervention (EBI). Grounding the model in CBPR principles provides benefits for intervention dissemination and integrates a focus on community benefits and capacity building., Conclusions: By establishing co-equal, mutually beneficial relationships at the core of the CCM model, opportunities are created for building critical consciousness, community capacity, and social capital. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this model of intervention dissemination which may enhance diffusion of CBPR interventions and empower communities in the process.

Background: Engaging community partners as co-investigators in community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires certification in the rules, ethics, and principles governing research. Despite developments in making human research protection trainings more convenient and standardized (eg, self-paced Internet modules), time constraints and the structure of the content (which may favor academic audiences) may hinder the training of community partners., Objectives: This paper is motivated by a case example in which academic and community partners, and stakeholders of a community-based organization actively engaged the leadership of a pediatric hospital-based institutional review board (IRB) in implementing a brief, community-responsive human subjects training session., Methods: A 2-hour, discussion-based human subjects training was developed via collaborations between the IRB and the community and academic partners. Interviews with trainees and facilitators after the training were used to evaluate its acceptability and possible future applications., Conclusions: Local IRBs have the potential to assist community partners in building sufficient knowledge of human subjects research protections to engage in specific projects, thereby expediting the progress of vital research to address community needs. We propose the need for developing truncated human subjects education materials to train and certify community partners, and creating formally organized entities within academic and medical institutions that specialize in community-based research to guide the development and implementation of alternative human subjects training certification opportunities for community partners.

Background: San Bernardino, California, is home to the San Bernardino Railyard (SBR), a major commerce hub with high associated air-pollution, identified as an environmental justice (EJ) issue by local community and air quality agencies. Alarmingly, one elementary school is located only a few hundred yards from SBR., Methods: The school, university researchers, and a local community-based organization (CBO) established a partnership to assess potential adverse health impacts in the children and develop interventions and mitigation plans., Results: Study results comparing target school with a demographically matched school verified community concerns finding significantly poorer respiratory health in children attending school near the railyard. Partners are working with local and state collaboratives, the school board, and funding agencies to address the resulting needs of children through education, mitigation, and prevention in an environment where necessary systems changes involving the railyard are elusive., Conclusions: This paper shares lessons learned in moving toward change when addressing an EJ community's health challenges.

Background: This paper uses a theory from educational research - "the culture of power" - to explore power differentials between academic researchers and community partners in community engaged research partnership programs., Objectives: This paper describes how a capacity-building program illuminated the tensions between academics and community partners related to power differentials and offers strategies for how to balance the power dynamic., Methods: This paper relies on semi-structured interviews from 30 community partners who participated in the "Building your capacity" program., Results: The framework of "culture of power" applied to research relationships helps us understand the following: (1) The power differentials between academic institutions and community agencies are deeply entrenched. That is there is a "culture of power." (2) This culture of power is often reinforced through the cultural rules and dominant language of the academy. (3) Academic institutions, by and large, have created and perpetuated the rules that have led to these uneven power relationships. (4) Being told explicitly about the rules of academic culture make acquiring power easier for community partners. (5) Community partners are often more aware of the culture of power in research and more willing to acknowledge these differentials than academic researchers., Conclusions: Academic partners who want to work with community partners need to acknowledge these power imbalances and be intentional about shifting these power dynamics. Capacity-building programs can help to shift these power imbalances because they help community partners acquire the confidence, knowledge and skills to advocate for more equitable research relationships.

Background: Partnerships between academic and community-based organizations (CBOs) can richly inform the research process and speed translation of findings. Although immense potential exists to co-conduct research, a better understanding of how to create and sustain equitable relationships between entities with different organizational goals, structures, resources, and expectations is needed., Objective: We sought to engage community leaders in the development of an instrument to assess CBOs' interest and capacity to engage with academia in translational research partnerships., Methods: Leaders from CBOs partnered with our research team in the design of a 50-item instrument to assess organizational experience with applying for federal funding and conducting research studies. Respondents completed a self-administered, paper/pencil survey and a follow-up structured cognitive interview (n = 11). A community advisory board (CAB; n = 8) provided further feedback on the survey through guided discussion. Thematic analysis of the cognitive interviews and a summary of the CAB discussion informed survey revisions., Results: Cognitive interviews and discussion with community leaders identified language and measurement issues for revision. Importantly, they also revealed an unconscious bias on the part of researchers and offered an opportunity, at an early research stage, to address imbalances in the survey perspective and to develop a more collaborative, equitable approach., Conclusions: Engaging community leaders enhanced face and content validity and served as a means to form relationships with potential community co-investigators in the future. Cognitive interviewing can enable a bidirectional approach to partnerships, starting with instrument development.

Background: Common mental disorder (CMD) is highly prevalent among low-income immigrant women, yet few receive effective treatment. This underutilization is partly owing to a lack of conceptual synchrony between biopsychiatric theories underlying conventional mental treatments and explanatory models in community settings. The Action to Improve Self-esteem and Health through Asset building (ASHA) program is a depression intervention designed by and for South Asian women immigrants. ASHA helps women to build psychological, social, and financial assets., Objectives: This paper describes the development and a preliminary pilot evaluation of the ASHA intervention., Methods: Researchers, clinicians, activists, and women from the Bronx Bangladeshi community collaboratively designed a depression intervention that would synchronize with local concepts of distress. In addition to providing mental health treatment, ASHA addresses social isolation and financial dependence. ASHA was evaluated in a pilot study described in this paper. Participants were assigned to intervention or delayed intervention (control) groups. Data collection at baseline and time 2 (6 months) included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and an indigenous measure of psychological and somatic distress., Results: Eighty percent of intervention participants completed the 6-month program. After treatment, mean PHQ-9 scores in the intervention group decreased from 9.90 to 4.26 (p < .001). Participants saved an average of $10 per week. To date, participants have applied their skills and savings toward such activities as starting small businesses and enrolling in community college., Conclusions: ASHA was effective in improving depression and increasing financial independence. Using a culturally synchronous approach to psychological treatment may be effective in ameliorating distress in immigrant populations.

Background: Despite universal environmental and policy-focused initiatives that resulted in declines in obesity among children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, disparities persist among racial/ethnic groups. In response, a community coalition formed the Healthy Eating and Living Project (HELP), to investigate and disseminate findings regarding disparities in excess weight among Cambridge Black youth (ages 6-14), with the aim of facilitating reciprocal learning and community mobilization to ultimately increase community engagement and inform prevention efforts., Objectives: This paper details the theoretical framework, methods, and results of disseminating HELP findings to various sectors of the Cambridge Black/African American (Black) community., Methods: First, using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the HELP coalition analyzed existing data and conducted qualitative studies with Cambridge Black families to better understand the sociocultural and familial determinants of excess weight. We then developed presentation and print materials and used different dissemination approaches. We solicited feedback to inform the dissemination process and mobilization of obesity prevention efforts., Results: We disseminated information through six community groups (parents, students, pastors, men's health group, community leaders, and a health coalition), email lists, and websites. Reciprocal learning among and between HELP and community members yielded data presentation challenges, as well as prevention effort ideas and barriers., Conclusion: Dissemination of local health data should be considered both as a strategy to increase community engagement and as an intervention to promote collective efficacy and community change. Careful attention should be dedicated to the language used when communicating racial disparities in excess weight to various community groups.

Background and Objective: The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Community Networks Program Centers (CNPCs) provide community-based participatory research (CBPR)-oriented mentoring and training to prepare early-stage/midcareer investigators and student trainees (trainees) in disparities reduction. This paper describes the academic, mentoring, training, and work-life balance experiences of CNPC-affiliated trainees., Methods: We used a collaborative and iterative process to develop a 57-item, web-based questionnaire completed by trainees from the 23 CNPCs between August 2012 and February 2013. Their CNPC mentors completed a 47-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were calculated., Results: The final analytic sample included 189 of 269 individuals (70%) identified as active participants in CNPC research or training/mentoring. Mentors (n=45) were mostly non-Hispanic White (77.8%) and 48.9% were male. Mentors published a median of 6 (interquartile range [IQR], 3-12) first-authored and 15 (IQR, 6-25) senior authored manuscripts, and secured 15 (IQR, 11-29) grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources in the previous 5 years. Most trainees (n=144) were female (79.2%), 43.7% were underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities, and 36.8% were first-generation college graduates. Over the previous 5 years, trainees reported a median of 4 (IQR, 1-6) publications as first author and 4 (IQR, 2-8) as co-author; 27.1% reported having one or more NIH R01s. Trainees reported satisfaction with their CNPC mentor (79.1%) and confidence in demonstrating most CBPR competencies., Conclusion: The CNPC training program consists of a scientifically productive pool of mentors and trainees. Trainees reported rates of scholarly productivity comparable to other national training programs and provided insights into relationships with mentors, academic pressures, and professional-personal life balance.

Background: The St. Louis Komen Project was conceived to address disparities in breast cancer treatment and outcomes between African-American and White women in St. Louis, Missouri. Our goal was to apportion tasks and funding through a process to which all researcher partners had input and to which all could agree, thus eliminating institutionalized inequalities., Methods: This paper describes the collaborative process and resulting division of responsibilities, determination of costs, and ultimate allocation of funds and resources, as well as the documentation employed to achieve funding reciprocity and equal accountability., Results: Both communication and documentation are critical. Although the Memoranda of Understanding employed are not a panacea, they codify roles and expectations and promote trust. The process of developing financial transparency set the tone for subsequent steps in the research process., Conclusions: The exhaustive planning process and project-specific procedures developed by its partners have helped the project foster reciprocity, facilitate participation, and equitably distribute resources.

Background: Principles of community engagement articulated by leading governmental public health and research organizations are widely accepted. Academics seeking to partner effectively with communities have a variety of guidelines to access, and resources to assist community-based organizations (CBOs) exist. However, experiences related to inclusion of nontraditional partners from the for-profit private industry sector, utilizing participatory approaches, are not documented., Objectives: This paper describes the perspective of community and academic participants on partnership development with a for-profit environmental engineering firm. Challenges related to building a transdisciplinary, crosssector partnership are highlighted., Methods: Results are reported using the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) evaluation manual. Five activities pursued in early phases of research are described., Conclusions: Community members and scholars recognize that complex public health problems warrant transdisciplinary and cross-sector effort. Efforts to build CBPR partnerships with for-profit industry may benefit from a stepwise approach.

Background: The time-limited nature of health and public health research fellowships poses a challenge to trainees' and community partners' efforts to sustain effective, collaborative, community-based participatory research (CBPR) relationships., Objectives: This paper presents CBPR case studies of partnerships between health services research trainees and community organization leaders in a medium-sized city to describe how participation in the partnership altered community partners' understanding and willingness to conduct research and to engage with research-derived data., Methods: Trainees and faculty used participatory methods with community leaders to identify research questions, and conduct and disseminate research. Throughout the process, trainees and faculty included research capacity building of community partners as a targeted outcome. Community partners were asked to reflect retrospectively on community research capacity building in the context of CBPR projects. Reflections were discussed and categorized by the authorship team, who grouped observations into topics that may serve as a foundation for development of future prospective analyses., Results: Important ideas shared include that trainee participation in CBPR may have an enduring impact on the community by increasing the capacity of community partners and agencies to engage in research beyond that which they are conducting with the current trainee., Conclusion: We posit that CBPR with research trainees may have an additive effect on community research capacity when it is conducted in collaboration with community leaders and focuses on a single region. More research is needed to characterize this potential outcome.

Background: Rural communities, particularly Aboriginal communities, often have limited access to health information, a situation that can have significant negative consequences. To address the lack of culturally and geographically relevant health information, a community-university partnership was formed to develop, implement, and evaluate Aboriginal Community Learning Centres (CLCs)., Objectives: The objective of this paper is to evaluate the community-based research process used in the development of the CLCs. It focuses on the process of building relationships among partners and the CLC's value and sustainability., Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including principal investigators, community research leads, and supervisors. The interview transcripts were analyzed using an open-coding process to identify themes., Results: Key challenges included enacting shared project governance, negotiating different working styles, and hiring practices based on commitment to project objectives rather than skill set. Technological access provided by the CLCs increased capacity for learning and collective community initiatives, as well as building community leads' skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy. An important lesson was to meet all partners "where they are" in building trusting relationships and adapting research methods to fit the project's context and strengths., Conclusions: Successful results were dependent upon persistence and patience in working through differences, and breaking the project into achievable goals, which collectively contributed to trust and capacity building. The process of building these partnerships resulted in increased capacity of communities to facilitate learning and change initiatives, and the capacity of the university to engage in successful research partnerships with Aboriginal communities in the future.

Background: Community health centers (CHC) often partner with academics to conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR). Because of their research expertise, academic partners are usually the principal investigators (PIs); however, moving the home base of research to the community can prove beneficial to the CHC and its community., Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to discuss the lessons learned after conducting a CBPR project and to share identified solutions., Methods: A longitudinal perinatal risk reduction intervention study was conducted with primiparous Native Hawaiian women receiving prenatal care at a CHC. The intervention incorporated home visiting, social support, and lactation management., Results: Primary lessons learned from this participatory process can be grouped into infrastructure, human resources, and recruitment., Conclusions: Sharing lessons learned can serve to expand a CHC's involvement in research, and provide a venue for discovering innovative and viable community and practice based approaches to solving health disparity challenges.

This paper discusses the historical context and current challenges of obesity prevention and control initiatives in Texas to understand how the obesity epidemic has been addressed by multiple interacting stakeholders over the past decade. By reviewing state reports and interviewing key decision makers, this paper chronicles recent efforts in Texas by highlighting health policy initiatives and champions who helped to create the foundation for obesity prevention and control. The findings outline the sentinel policy approaches that were implemented by public/private sector partnerships over the last decade, as well as the public figures that have been singular champions in creating the momentum for these changes. The efforts to address obesity with a collaborative approach in Texas have shown initial promise in creating a tipping point to control the obesity epidemic. These strategies can also serve as a model for obesity prevention and control at the national level.

Background: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) strives for equitable collaboration among community and academic partners throughout the research process. To build the capacity of academia to function as effective research partners with communities, the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH)'s Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA), developed a community engagement consulting model. This new model harnesses the expertise of community partners with CBPR experience and compensates them equitably to provide technical assistance to community-academic research partnerships., Objectives: This paper describes approaches to valuing community expertise, the importance of equitable compensation for community partners, the impact on the community partners, opportunities for institutional change, and the constraints faced in model implementation., Methods: Community Experts (CEs) are independent contractor consultants. CEs were interviewed to evaluate their satisfaction with their engagement and compensation for their work., Lessons Learned: (1) CEs have knowledge, power, and credibility to push for systems change. (2) Changes were needed within the university to facilitate successful consultation to community-academic partnerships. (3) Sustaining the CE role requires staff support, continued compensation, increased opportunities for engagement, and careful consideration of position demands. (4) The role provides benefits beyond financial compensation. (5) Opportunities to gather deepened relationships within the partnership and built collective knowledge that strengthened the project., Conclusions: Leveraging CE expertise and compensating them for their role benefits both university and community. Creating a place for community expertise within academia is an important step toward equitably including the community in research.

Background: Racial disparities in health across the United States remain, and in some cities have worsened despite increased focus at federal and local levels. One approach to addressing health inequity is community-based participatory research (CBPR)., Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to describe the develop ment of an ongoing community-physical therapy partnership focused on physical activity (PA), which aims to improve the health of African-American community members and engage physical therapist (PT) students in CBPR., Methods: Three main research projects that resulted from an initial partnership-building seed grant include (1) community focus groups, (2) training of community PA promoters, and (3) pilot investigation of PA promoter effectiveness., Lessons Learned: Results from each project informed the next. Focus groups findings led to development of a PA pro moter training curriculum. PA promoters were accepted by the community, with potential to increase PA. Focus on the community issue of PA fostered and sustained the partnership., Conclusions: Community and academic partners benefitted from funding, structure, and time to create meaningful, trusting, and sustainable relationships committed to improving health. Engaging PT students with community residents provided learning opportunities that promote respect and appreciation of the social, economic, and environmental context of future patients.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an important approach to inform the development and implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategies. However, there is a paucity of literature describing CBPR from the perspective of community-based organizations (CBOs), specifically AIDS service organizations (ASO). Focusing on the perspective of the executive director (ED) from the partnering ASO, we describe in this paper lessons learned during Project Counseling Others About Contacts and Exposures with HIV (COACH), a CBPR, qualitative study intended to examine perspectives and experiences of professionals and clients regarding partner notification (PN) for HIV. Specifically, we describe opportunities and challenges associated with the time investment, balancing a dual role of service provider and researcher, and partnering with the department of public health. This description of the perspective of the ED from the ASO and the associated lessons learned may inform the actions of other CBOs, including ASOs, considering partnering with academic institutions for CBPR.

Problem: Community-engaged research (CEnR) is a complex, collaborative process that presents many challenges and requires investment of time and commitment by both community and university research partners., Purpose: This paper describes the experience of a group of university and community members developing a set of guidelines for the ethical conduct of CEnR projects., Key Points: The paper outlines the process of guideline development and lessons learned from this collaborative effort, which was based upon approaches and methods of community-based participatory research (CBPR)., Conclusions: The guidelines are included and may serve as a framework to be individualized by other partnerships. Our experience shows that the very process of review, revision, and engagement is extremely helpful in creating a framework that works for the specific communities and for establishing working relationships among the partners so that all stakeholders feel ownership and investment in the framework and the collaborative research efforts.

Background: Disparities in the incidence, prevalence, severity, care, and outcomes for rheumatic diseases exist among racial and ethnic groups compared with White Americans., Objective: This paper describes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach engaging researchers, community leaders, and patients in purposeful dialogues related to the implementation of health behavior research in an urban rheumatic disease clinic., Methods: Seven focused discussions were led in either English or Spanish. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim., Results: Six community leaders and nine patients participated in the seven scheduled focused discussions. Transcripts uncovered five major themes that assisted with study design: trust, patient-provider relationship, study implementation suggestions, decreased functional capacity, and access to healthcare., Conclusions: Engaging community partners and patients in informal and formal discussions from early phases of research design through implementation, followed by systematic application of these insights, may serve to accelerate the potential for translation from findings into improved clinical practice and optimal outcomes.

Background: For communities, the value of community-based participatory research (CBPR) is often manifested in the outcomes of increased capacity and sustainable adoption of evidence-based practices for social change. Educational opportunities that promote discourse between community and academic partners can help to advance CBPR and better define these outcomes., Objectives: This paper describes a community-academic conference to develop shared definitions of community capacity building and sustainability related to CBPR and to identify obstacles and facilitators to both., Methods: "Taking It to the Curbside: Engaging Communities to Create Sustainable Change for Health" was planned by five Clinical Translational Science Institutes and four community organizations. After a keynote presentation, breakout groups of community and academic members met to define community capacity building and sustainability, and to identify facilitators and barriers to achieving both. Groups were facilitated by researcher-community partner teams and conversations were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analysis for thematic content was conducted by a subset of the planning committee., Results: Important findings included learning that (1) the concepts of capacity and sustainability were considered interconnected; (2) partnership was perceived as both a facilitator and an outcome of CBPR; (3) sustainability was linked to "transfer of knowledge" from one generation to another within a community; and (4) capacity and sustainability were enhanced when goals were shared and health outcomes were achieved., Conclusions: Community capacity building and sustainability are key outcomes of CBPR for communities. Co-learning opportunities that engage and mutually educate both community members and academics can be useful strategies for identifying meaningful strategies to achieve these outcomes.

Background: As of today, 50% of Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded Academic Health Centers are engaging community clinicians through the practice-based research network (PBRN) mechanism, which has been identified as a best practice by the CTSA National Leadership. A PBRN is an organization of community clinicians who work together with researchers to answer meaningful questions that will improve patient care., Methods: This paper outlines the steps that were led to success during the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio's journey of developing four PBRNs over 3 years: (1) identifying network directors; (2) deciding who to include; (3) obtaining recruitment lists; (4) sending out mailers; (5) hosting the first PBRN meeting; (6) gaining institutional review board (IRB) approval; (7) launching a simple study; (8) returning the findings; and (9) formalizing the PBRN and moving forward., Results: CTSAs will continue to seek ways to effectively engage community members in the clinical translation process., Conclusions: PBRNs are a promising laboratory for generating research questions directly from clinicians, conducting meaningful research, and then disseminating the findings to the larger community to accelerate positive change.

Background: Numerous publications demonstrate the importance of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in community health research, but few target the Deaf community. The Deaf community is understudied and underrepresented in health research despite suspected health disparities and communication barriers., Objectives: The goal of this paper is to share the lessons learned from the implementation of CBPR in an understudied community of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users in the greater Rochester, New York, area., Methods: We review the process of CBPR in a Deaf ASL community and identify the lessons learned., Results: Key CBPR lessons include the importance of engaging and educating the community about research, ensuring that research benefits the community, using peer-based recruitment strategies, and sustaining community partnerships. These lessons informed subsequent research activities., Conclusions: This report focuses on the use of CBPR principles in a Deaf ASL population; lessons learned can be applied to research with other challenging-to-reach populations.

Background: Research using stored clinical data and samples held in biobanks has potential to address health disparities in minority communities. However, ethical and cultural considerations about use of these samples for research warrant attention. Literature about how Alaska Native people (ANs) view biobanking research consists largely of theoretical papers and position statements with limited systematic information gathered from a broad range of ANs., Objectives: To explore the views of biobanking research among AN community members and leaders across Alaska using a community-based participatory research approach with tribal and federal partners., Methods: We approached tribal health organizations (THOs) to partner and guide the study in their regions. Community liaisons were hired to lead study recruitment. Twenty-nine focus groups were conducted in 14 locations with participation from 82 community members and 81 tribal leaders. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach., Results: We identified five themes that contributed to participants' views on biobanking: (1) Prior experiences with research and medical care, (2) stigmatizations, relevance, and applicability, (3) effects of governmental and cultural change, (4) concerns about unknown capability of future technologies, and (5) benefit for future generations. Respondents raised AN-specific cultural concerns along with global ethical concerns alongside the potential promise of research in improving AN health., Conclusions: This study offers considerations for researchers partnering with AN communities when planning research and public health surveillance projects. Findings also have implications for other minority communities harmed by past research and other societal changes.

The Problem: Cigarette sales have declined in the United States over the past decade; however, small cigar sales have been rapidly increasing. In most urban areas, small cigars are inexpensive and are sold as singles without health warnings., Purpose of Article: This paper describes a community- academic-practice partnership's (CAPP) efforts to decrease small cigar use in young adults living in Baltimore, Maryland, through legislative strategies., Key Points: Survey data among young adults not in school indicated that 20% of individuals reported current small cigar use, often in combination with cigarettes. The community- academic partnership engaged the community in discussion about small cigar use in the fall of 2007. In collaboration with partners, bills were submitted to the legislative bodies for the city and state to impose minimum packaging requirements on small cigars., Conclusion: Collaborative partnerships between community-based organizations, public health agencies, and academic institutions can lead to policy initiatives with the potential to improve public health.