Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32130. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032130. Epub 2012 Feb 23.
Community mobilization and collaboration among diverse partners are vital components of the effort to reduce and eliminate cancer disparities in the United States. We studied the development and impact of intersectoral connections among the members of the Massachusetts Community Network for Cancer Education, Research, and Training (MassCONECT). As one of the Community Network Program sites funded by the National Cancer Institute, this infrastructure-building initiative utilized principles of Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) to unite community coalitions, researchers, policymakers, and other important stakeholders to address cancer disparities in three Massachusetts communities: Boston, Lawrence, and Worcester. We conducted a cross-sectional, sociometric network analysis four years after the network was formed. A total of 38 of 55 members participated in the study (69% response rate). Over four years of collaboration, the number of intersectoral connections reported by members (intersectoral out-degree) increased, as did the extent to which such connections were reported reciprocally (intersectoral reciprocity). We assessed relationships between these markers of intersectoral collaboration and three intermediate outcomes in the effort to reduce and eliminate cancer disparities: delivery of community activities, policy engagement, and grants/publications. We found a positive and statistically significant relationship between intersectoral out-degree and community activities and policy engagement (the relationship was borderline significant for grants/publications). We found a positive and statistically significant relationship between intersectoral reciprocity and community activities and grants/publications (the relationship was borderline significant for policy engagement). The study suggests that intersectoral connections may be important drivers of diverse intermediate outcomes in the effort to reduce and eliminate cancer disparities. The findings support investment in infrastructure-building and intersectoral mobilization in addressing disparities and highlight the benefits of using CBPR approaches for such work.
社区动员和多元化合作伙伴之间的协作是减少和消除美国癌症差异的重要组成部分。我们研究了马萨诸塞州社区癌症教育、研究和培训网络（MassCONECT）成员之间的部门间联系的发展和影响。作为国家癌症研究所资助的社区网络计划之一，这项基础设施建设倡议利用社区参与式研究（CBPR）的原则，将社区联盟、研究人员、政策制定者和其他重要利益相关者团结起来，解决马萨诸塞州三个社区（波士顿、劳伦斯和伍斯特）的癌症差异问题。我们在网络成立四年后进行了一项横断面、社会计量网络分析。共有 55 名成员中的 38 名（69%的回复率）参加了这项研究。在四年的合作中，成员报告的部门间联系数量（部门间外向度）有所增加，这种联系的互惠程度（部门间互惠性）也有所增加。我们评估了这些部门间合作指标与减少和消除癌症差异工作中的三个中间结果之间的关系：社区活动的开展、政策参与度和拨款/出版物。我们发现，部门间外向度与社区活动和政策参与度之间存在积极且具有统计学意义的关系（与拨款/出版物之间的关系呈边缘显著）。我们发现，部门间互惠性与社区活动和拨款/出版物之间存在积极且具有统计学意义的关系（与政策参与度之间的关系呈边缘显著）。该研究表明，部门间联系可能是减少和消除癌症差异努力中多种中间结果的重要驱动因素。研究结果支持在解决差异问题方面对基础设施建设和部门间动员进行投资，并强调了使用 CBPR 方法进行此类工作的益处。
