The Mothers' Voices Project: Lessons learned from an academic-community research partnership

• In Event: Poster Session 3

Abstract

In Kansas and across the nation, black women are more than two times more likely than white women to experience perinatal loss. An academic-community partnership was formed to conduct a qualitative study to explore women's life experiences and health across the life course. As a result of this partnership, several key findings from this study helped to inform local maternal and child health efforts.
A collective case study was conducted to explore investigators' experiences in this partnership. Multiple sources of data were used, including interviews with investigators, participant observation of partnership proceses and rounds of discussion of reflection. Preliminary data reveal key 'lessons learned' related to successful CBPR appraoches such as co-learning and mutual transfer of expertise and ingishts, shared decision making and shared ownership of processes. Additional lessons learned included: In addition, success was attributed to values-driven, community-based principles that (a) assured recognition of community need, (b) project emphasized and embraced women's strengths and stories and shared findings/knowledge with partners and wider community. Final analysis and implications will be discussed in poster session.

Authors

• Kyrah K Brown, Wichita State University

• Elizabeth Baumgartner, KIDS NEtwork, Inc.

• Christy Schunn, KIDS Network, Inc.

• Rhonda Lewis, Wichita State University

• Jvonnah Maryman, Sedgwick County Health Department

• Jamie Locurto, Wichita State University