[Attend, consult, involve: do we need to redefine the concept of community engagement?] / Asistir, consultar, involucrar: ¿es necesario redefinir el concepto de participación comunitaria?

OBJECTIVE: To describe how a sample of people working in community health promotion projects perceive and implement community engagement approaches. METHOD: Mixed qualitative-quantitative study. Data was collected through: semi-structured interviews with 10 people representing the projects, and workshops in which 53 people participated and responded to a questionnaire prepared ad hoc to identify levels of community engagement. Descriptive statistical analysis of the questionnaires and framework analysis of the interviews, observations and workshops recordings. RESULTS: Although the projects are described as highly participatory, community engagement appeared mainly in the form of attending events, with few examples of consultation or community involvement. CONCLUSIONS: This difference may be due to the lack of a culture of participation, both in individuals and institutions, and lack of training in community engagement. It is proposed to change the language from participation-attendance to using expressions such as consulting or involving people.

Asistir, consultar, involucrar: ¿es necesario redefinir el concepto de participación comunitaria? / Attend, consult, involve: do we need to redefine the concept of community engagement?

Objetivo: Describir qué entienden por participación comunitaria las personas que trabajan en 10 proyectos de promoción de la salud y cómo se implementa. Método: Estudio mixto cuali-cuantitativo. Se recopilaron datos mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas a 10 personas representantes de los proyectos, y se realizaron talleres presenciales en los que participaron 53 personas que contestaron a un cuestionario elaborado ad hoc para identificar los niveles de participación comunitaria. Análisis estadístico descriptivo de los cuestionarios y análisis de matriz de las entrevistas, observaciones y grabaciones de los talleres. Resultados: Aunque los proyectos se definen como muy participativos, la participación se manifiesta principalmente como asistencia, con escasos ejemplos de consulta o implicación real de la comunidad. Conclusiones: La discrepancia observada puede deberse a una falta de cultura de participación de individuos e instituciones, y a falta de formación. Se propone dejar de hablar de participación-asistencia y hacerlo de consultar o involucrar a las personas.(AU)

Objective: To describe how a sample of people working in community health promotion projects perceive and implement community engagement approaches. Method: Mixed qualitative–quantitative study. Data was collected through: semi-structured interviews with 10 people representing the projects, and workshops in which 53 people participated and responded to a questionnaire prepared ad hoc to identify levels of community engagement. Descriptive statistical analysis of the questionnaires and framework analysis of the interviews, observations and workshops recordings. Results: Although the projects are described as highly participatory, community engagement appeared mainly in the form of attending events, with few examples of consultation or community involvement. Conclusions: This difference may be due to the lack of a culture of participation, both in individuals and institutions, and lack of training in community engagement. It is proposed to change the language from participation-attendance to using expressions such as consulting or involving people.(UA)