Exploring Research Communication and Engagement in a Rural Community: The Libby P

描述(由申请者提供)：该项目响应美国国立卫生研究院公共信托倡议，以改善研究人员与公众之间的沟通和互动。这项研究的前提是，人们对导致受环境灾难和复杂生态后果影响的农村社区成员更多地了解和参与研究的条件和方法知之甚少。对于研究利比闪石石棉对人类健康影响的研究人员来说，蒙大拿州利比的居民是一个独特的目标人群。为了提高公众对这一独特的农村社区研究的认识、理解、接受和参与程度，已建立的社区/学术伙伴关系将应用案例研究方法和基于社区的参与性研究(CBPR)原则来解决三个项目目标。首先，通过进行重点社区评估来确定密苏里州利比的研究环境，评估内容包括：a)社区研究历史；b)可用于支持社区研究交流和转化的基础设施(服务和资源)；c)利比居民对生物医学和行为研究的意识、知识、接受度和/或抵抗力；以及d)利比居民首选的研究交流方法。第二，设计、实施和评估向利比居民传达研究机会和成果的战略，以：a)由研究人员用于促进密苏里州利比的研究交流；b)提高社区居民对研究的认识、知识和接受度；以及c)加强现有的当地研究基础设施，以便向社区成员交流研究。最后，为农村CBPR模式的发展提供基础，该模式促进社区参与研究并指导在农村社区工作的研究人员。案例研究是理解复杂的当代社会现象的理想策略，包括与居住在超级基金网站内的农村居民(背景)选择参与或拒绝参与研究(兴趣现象)有关的问题。这一调查路线与CBPR原则是一致的，因为案例研究的每个阶段，从通过社区评估确定多个数据源和将农村理论联系起来，到验证最终结果取决于社区成员的投入。这项研究合作的长期目标是改善研究方面的沟通，并为与农村人一起工作的研究人员提供方向，使社区参与研究，并在社区内开展研究。这项研究的前提是，人们对导致受环境灾难和复杂生态后果影响的农村社区成员更多地参与研究的条件和方法知之甚少。在这个进行了大量研究的社区，与石棉相关的疾病病例继续从潜伏期到活跃期出现。从这群农村居民身上吸取的经验教训将有助于改善研究人员和公众之间关于这种国家分发的有毒物质的沟通和互动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project responds to the NIH Public Trust Initiative to improve the communication and interaction between researchers and the public. The premise of this study is that too little is known about the conditions and approaches that lead to increased understanding of and participation in research by members of a rural community impacted by an environmental disaster and the complex ecological aftermath. Residents of Libby, MT represent a unique target population for researchers studying the human health effects of Libby amphibole asbestos. To raise the level of public awareness, understanding, acceptance, and involvement in research in this inimitable rural community, an established community/academic partnership will apply case study research methods and community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to address three project aims. First, determine the research milieu in Libby, MT by conducting a focused community assessment to include: a) history of research in the community; b) infrastructure (services and resources) available to support the communication and translation of research in the community; c) Libby residents' awareness, knowledge, acceptance, and/or resistance to biomedical and behavioral research; and, d) Libby residents' preferred method of communication about research. Second, design, implement, and evaluate strategies for communicating research opportunities and results to Libby residents to: a) be used by researchers to facilitate research communication in Libby, MT; b) increase community resident's awareness, knowledge, and acceptance of research; and, c) enhance the existing local research infrastructure for the communication of research to community members. And finally, provide a foundation for the development of a rural CBPR model that fosters community involvement in research and guides researchers working in rural communities. Case study research is an ideal strategy for understanding complex, contemporary social phenomenon including questions related to "how" and "why" rural residents living within a Superfund site (the context) choose to participate or decline participation in research (the phenomenon of interest). This line of inquiry is consistent with CBPR principles since each phase of the case study, from identifying multiple data sources via the community assessment and linking rural theory, to validating the final results depends on input from community members. The long-term goal of this research collaboration is to improve communication about research and provide direction for researchers working with rural persons that will engage communities in research and researchers in the community. The premise of this study is that too little is known about the conditions and approaches that lead to increased participation in research by members of a rural community impacted by an environmental disaster and the complex ecological aftermath. Cases of asbestos-related disease continue to emerge from latency to active disease in this heavily researched community. Lessons learned from this cohort of rural residents will help improve communication and interaction between researchers and the public regarding this nationally distributed toxic substance.