Garcia Victor, Gonzalez Laura
Department of Anthropology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA.
Open Anthropol J. 2011 Jan 1;4:3-11. doi: 10.2174/1874912701104010003.
Participatory research is essential in public health studies, but using this methodology to examine sensitive public health problems among vulnerable populations is a challenge. We share some of our trials and tribulations in attempting to use participatory research in our substance abuse studies among transnational Mexican migrants in southeastern Pennsylvania. Major challenges did not permit partnerships across the community in all phases of research, including the dissemination of findings. Especially difficult was including transnational migrants and nearby relatives as partners in the research, similar to partnerships created with others in the community. The sensitive nature of our research and associated human subject concerns did not permit a more participatory methodology. Another problem involved partnerships with members of the larger community, given the apathy and ambivalence towards drug use by transnational migrants. Finally, collaborating with community stakeholders to develop and implement research-based recommendations was also problematic. As we learned, there are more to generating substance abuse recommendations in partnership with stakeholders than simply working together on recommendations, which also require an effective implementation strategy. Based on these experiences, we elaborate useful suggestions in development and application of local-level programs aimed at curtailing substance abuse among transnational migrant workers while they are at their work sites in Pennsylvania.
参与式研究在公共卫生研究中至关重要，但运用这种方法在弱势群体中研究敏感的公共卫生问题却是一项挑战。我们分享一些在宾夕法尼亚州东南部针对跨国墨西哥移民开展药物滥用研究时尝试运用参与式研究的试验和磨难。主要挑战在于，在研究的各个阶段，包括研究结果的传播，都无法促成整个社区的合作关系。尤其困难的是，要将跨国移民及其附近的亲属纳入研究伙伴，这类似于与社区其他成员建立的合作关系。我们研究的敏感性以及相关的人体研究问题不允许采用更具参与性的方法。另一个问题是，鉴于跨国移民对药物使用的冷漠和矛盾态度，与更广泛社区成员建立合作关系存在困难。最后，与社区利益相关者合作制定和实施基于研究的建议也存在问题。正如我们所了解到的，与利益相关者合作提出药物滥用建议，不仅仅是共同制定建议，还需要有效的实施策略。基于这些经验，我们阐述了在制定和应用旨在减少跨国移民工人在宾夕法尼亚州工作场所药物滥用的地方层面项目方面的有益建议。
