Challenges in community-based participatory research

Handbook of community-based participatory research. Coughlin SS, Smith SA, Fernandez ME, editors. Oxford University Press, 2017 (£53.00; 304 pp). ISBN 9780190652234

It was music to my ears reading about the ways in which community-based participatory research (CBPR) challenges exist in medical research structures and paradigms. In the Handbook of community-based participatory research, the chapter by Kendall and colleagues shows the issues that arise when gaining ethics approval for CBPR, noting that the ethics committees often “impose unnecessary and time-consuming bureaucratic processes that do nothing to ensure the ethical well-being of research subjects”. They also examine the ways in which undertaking CBPR may be a career-limiting move because of the “publish or perish” mentality that drives contemporary academia. Further, they point out that is very hard to get CBPR funded through most health and medical funding bodies. Such are these difficulties that the authors suggest it might be a challenge for ambitious early and mid-career researchers to engage in CBPR, despite the many benefits that are documented through the book.

The editors and authors are from North America but the cases have enough relevance for Australia and can hopefully be an inspiration for Australian researchers to engage in more CBPR. Most of the case study chapters are based on studies with direct health relevance, including those on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infant mortality, colorectal cancer disparities, breast and cervical cancer screening, environmental health, violence and HIV. They provide very convincing cases for the value of deep partnerships with communities.

There are vital lessons for all research funding bodies in this volume concerning the need to tailor research funding to the requirements of CBPR so that funding is provided not just for conducting the research, but also for the vital time required to establish trusting partnerships and participatory research governance structures that will allow for genuine power-sharing partnerships. The National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund executives should read the book closely and ensure that all funding schemes can accommodate the needs of participatory health research.

The Handbook of community-based participatory research is essential reading for all researchers who want to increase the translation aspect of their research and for research methods students to widen their repertoire.