Pursuing Research Justice Through Community-Academic Partnership to Address Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth

Background: The California Preterm Birth Initiative is a community-engaged research effort focused on addressing racial disparities in birth outcomes. Objectives: To highlight three community-academic partnership strategies and identify partners' lessons learned and recommendations. Methods: We conducted interviews (n = 38), four focus groups (n = 23), a document review (n = 174), and meeting/ event observations (n = 36). We performed content analysis and structural and emerging coding of the data, which involved extracting and sorting information into themes. Lessons Learned: Five themes emerged across the strategies as essential for successful partnerships addressing racial disparities: 1) incorporate a racial equity approach; 2) value community knowledge; 3) ensure accountability to community priorities; 4) build relationships and trust; and 5) address structural barriers to community-academic partnerships. Conclusions: Community-academic partnerships addressing racial health disparities should confront internal and structural power dynamics early on and support affected communities to lead the efforts, including committing to funding and capacity-building activities to ensure research justice.

Automated summary

The California Preterm Birth Initiative is a community-engaged research effort that aims to address racial disparities in birth outcomes. Through interviews, focus groups, document review, and meeting/ event observations, the study highlights three community-academic partnership strategies and identifies lessons learned and recommendations from the partners. The key lessons learned include incorporating a racial equity approach, valuing community knowledge, ensuring accountability to community priorities, building relationships and trust, and addressing structural barriers to community-academic partnerships.