Suzanne B. Cashman ^1*, Sarah Adeky ², Alex J. Allen ³, Jason Corburn ⁴, Barbara A. Israel ⁵, Jaime Monaño ⁶, Alvin Rafelito ⁷, Scott D. Rhodes ⁸, Samara Swanston ⁹, Nina Wallerstein ¹⁰, Eugenia Eng ¹¹

¹ University of Massachusetts Medical School
² Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation
³ Isles, Inc.
⁴ Columbia University
⁵ University of Michigan
⁶ Men for Health
⁷ Ramah Navajo School Board
⁸ Wake Forest University Health Sciences
⁹ Watchperson Project
¹⁰ University of New Mexico
¹¹ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: suzanne.cashman{at}umassmed.edu.

	Abstract

Although the intent of community-based participatory research (CBPR) is to investigation community voices in all phases of a research initiative, community partners appear less frequently engaged in data analysis and interpretation than in other research phases. Using 4 brief case studies, each with a different data collection methodology, we provide examples of how community members participated in data analysis, interpretation, or both, thereby strengthening community capacity and providing unique insight. The roles and skills of the community and academic partners were different from but complementary to each other. We suggest that including community partners in data analysis and interpretation, while lengthening required project time, enriches insights and findings and consequently should be a focus that the next generation of CBPR initiatives.

Key Words: Community Health, Health Promotion, Public Health Practice, Social Science