Facilitating Research and Collaborative Learning in a Somali Community

Abstract

Due to an increasingly diverse world, healthcare researchers should consider collaborative research within a cultural community in order to provide holistic care for all patients. One of the key steps in cultural research is establishing relationships with leaders within that cultural community. Because the Somali group is such a large cultural group in the state of Minnesota, two Caucasian nurse researchers from an academic institution used several methods to connect and build trust within the Somali community in preparation for a study designed to discover and understand the birth experience of immigrant Somali new mothers. Through the process of conducting research within the Somali community, several lessons were learned and a number of surprises were revealed. Following the research, a continued relationship with the community resulted in collaborative learning opportunities. This collaboration is of mutual benefit to healthcare providers and the cultural community.

Adapting Child Health Knowledge Translation Tools for Somali Parents: Qualitative Study Exploring Process Considerations and Stakeholder Engagement

“…Home remedies and advice from friends may be more appealing and familiar than navigating barriers to health care access. As reported in this study, and by Clark and Missal [ 30 ], community leaders may be an impactful way of reaching Somali community members. Delivering this information via online media may be helpful, but only if it is accessible to the target audience.…”

“…If community leaders could be involved with creating and disseminating KT products, there may be greater uptake. It should be noted that relying on community leaders also requires cultural sensitivity and reciprocity for ethical compensation of their time and effort [ 30 ].…”

“…There are several processes of cultural adaptation that have been previously applied to adapt health intervention programs [ 51 ], decision aids [ 52 ], and patient-reported outcome scales [ 53 ]. When a niche community has a statistically higher prevalence of a certain disease or illness, an intervention may be designed to enact change on the behavior or environment [ 30 ]. However, little information or guidance exists on how best to adapt KT products that reach diverse end user needs.…”

“…Minority cultural groups in Canada, like the Somali community, are not always readily accessible to engage in research processes [ 30 ]. Often knowledge brokers (KBs) who can help bridge the gap between research processes and community partnerships support diverse community groups.…”

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the Ground Up: Evaluating the Impact of a Community-Based DEI Intervention

“…All phases of the project featured close collaboration with stakeholders from across the community including government offices, faith groups, nonprofit support agencies, community leaders, and invested individuals. In line with best practices outlined by Clark and Missal (2017), the process placed particular emphasis on strengthening and extending trusting relationships with members of the Somali community, whose involvement played a defining role in shaping the project. For example, the idea to pair the film screening with an interactive panel of local Somali residents came in response to expressed concerns from Somali collaborators that the documentary may not represent the experiences of some Somali people.…”