The Continuum of Community Engagement in Research: A Roadmap for Understanding and Assessing Progress.

BACKGROUND: The past two decades have been marked by increased community involvement in the research process. Community-engaged research (CEnR) is increasingly promoted in the literature, and academic programs with a community-academic partnership focus. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an approach to frame equitable community involvement in research and is a critical component of the CEnR continuum. As with CEnR, noted benefits of using CBPR expressed in the literature, which include enhancing the relevance and application of the research data, expertise to complex problems at all stages of research, overcoming community distrust, and improving community health. This article presents a community engagement (CE) model that includes seven defined designations for CEnR. In addition, this model includes equity indicators and contextual factors for consideration at the various levels of engagement along the continuum. METHODS: The CE model described in this article combines the principles of CE and CBPR in conjunction with a continuum model. The continuum integrates a focus on health equity and contextual factors providing perspectives from both community and academic partners at each point of engagement. CONCLUSIONS: A broadly defined CEnR continuum will allow researchers, community members and organizations to readily identify 1) where they are on the continuum of CEnR, 2) appropriate access points to enter the continuum based on existing contextual factors, and 3) actions to promote progression on the continuum. Funders have the opportunity to specify the appropriate level of CE needed to accomplish the goals of their identified priorities.

An examination of the growing US undergraduate public health movement.

OBJECTIVES: With over 10,900 public health bachelor's degree graduates conferred in 2015, public health undergraduate education in the USA has become mainstream. However, with the recent establishment of a majority of the programs, the impact of the undergraduate programs remains largely unknown. This study examines a sample of undergraduate programs in public health to further elucidate the undergraduate landscape. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews and a review of program websites from a sample of 39 institutions across the USA with undergraduate majors labeled as public health were conducted in 2015 to examine program content and operations. RESULTS: Findings from the 39 programs reviewed demonstrated growing and diverse undergraduate public health programs rapidly evolving. While program enrollments, infrastructure, and curriculum varied among the individual programs, collectively, findings indicated increasing numbers of undergraduate students gaining knowledge and experience in matters related to the health of societies locally, nationally, and globally. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest it is an opportune time for the field to offer guidance, support, and vision to these burgeoning undergraduate programs. Such engagement offers opportunities to advance the programs as well as increase the number of students attuned to societal health in whatever life roles they assume.

Teaching cultural competence to reduce health disparities.

As part of the Genesee County, Michigan, REACH 2010 initiative, a new course, Cultural Competence in Health Care, was developed at the University of Michigan-Flint. The objective of this course is to improve the cultural competence of future health and human service providers and to reduce persistent racial and ethnic health disparities. This article describes the course and the important role that REACH 2010 partners played in its development and implementation. Course materials, methods, and student feedback are summarized, along with lessons learned.