Using Community-Based Participatory Research and Human-Centered Design to Address Violence-Related Health Disparities Among Latino/a Youth

Abstract

High rates of exposure to violence and other adversities among Latino/a youth contributes to health disparities. The current paper addresses the ways in which community-based participatory research (CBPR) and human centered design (HCD) can help to engage communities in dialogue and action. We present a project exemplifying how community forums, with researchers, practitioners, and key stakeholders, including youth and parents, integrated HCD strategies with a CBPR approach. Given the potential for power inequities between these groups, CBPR+HCD acted as a catalyst for reciprocal dialogue and generated potential opportunity areas for health promotion and change. Future directions are described.

Children and Adolescents Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Interaction-Based Interventions in Schools and Communities

“…Engaging in dialogue with the very community members who might be at risk of suffering mental health problems is essential for the success of the intervention. Some strategies for their involvement include the creation of a local Community Advisory Committee (Puffer et al, 2016) or a Community Advisory Board (Kia-Keating et al, 2017). The latter engage participants in reciprocal dialogues on solutions for issues ranging from violence exposure and health disparities to the difficulties encountered by youth people seeking to thrive, as exemplified by the HEROES Project (Kia-Keating et al, 2017).…”

Co‐Occurring Youth Profiles of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Protective Factors: Associations with Health, Resilience, and Racial Disparities

“…Finally, the vast racial/ethnic health differences observed in the current study call for innovative research approaches to close the health disparities gap, which is persisting despite national efforts to close it. One promising set of participatory methodologies highlighted by scholars are those rooted in empowerment for historically marginalized populations (Kia‐Keating, Santacrose, Liu, & Adams, ). Frameworks to guide this work include community‐based participatory research, where academic researchers and members of the community are given equal voice in all aspects of the research process.…”

“…Frameworks to guide this work include community‐based participatory research, where academic researchers and members of the community are given equal voice in all aspects of the research process. More recently, researchers have also recommended approaches such as human‐centered design, which is grounded in the belief that those with everyday life experience of the issues being addressed are the ones with the expertise to solve them (Kia‐Keating et al., ). Drawing on these approaches in future work will allow communities and researchers to combat the legacy of researcher‐community discord and researcher disregard for community perspectives, while working together to reduce health disparities.…”

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Intervention Integrating Technology and In-Person Sexual Health Education for Adolescents (In the Know): Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Youth have been actively involved in the design and continuous improvement of the intervention, helping to ensure that the intervention is relevant and applicable to youth. Prior research suggests that the target populations’ input in the development of technology-based health interventions should be sought early in the design process to ensure short- and long-term engagement [ 37 , 38 ]. To our knowledge, this is one of the first longitudinal studies to examine the integration of mobile technology into a sexual health intervention, allowing us to assess program impact on youth over time.…”