Participatory nursing research. A promising methodology in Third World countries.

This project had some unique components which may have played a significant role in assuring its success. For several months prior to the initiation of the project, the author had worked with the local people developing a rapport and helping them assess their needs and interests. The research was then initiated at their invitation and with their enthusiastic support. There was also a well-organized, local, leadership network in place which provided stability throughout the research project. The support and personal involvement of locally acknowledged leaders assisted greatly in gaining access into the homes of the batey mothers who consented to be interviewed. These same local leaders continued to lend support to the CHWs as they implemented their findings. The validity of the findings was very possibly enhanced by the use of CHW participants from the group studied. Informants frequently are more willing to share openly with someone from a similar value system than with a foreign researcher. In addition, the fact that the researcher, CHWs, and informants were all of the same sex no doubt contributed to the success of the method. The requirements of the participatory method which were encountered in this study would need to be carefully addressed in similar research projects conducted in Third World countries. Gaining entrée into a research site, addressing language and cultural differences, identifying participant researchers who were literate, arranging transportation to isolated sites for the interview component of the process, and allowing sufficient time to be on-site personally to conduct the project were a few of the challenges encountered in this study. Researchers conducting projects of this type should also guard against raising false hopes of change among the participants. Limitations should be identified at the onset of the project and participants reminded that the success of the program should be projected realistically. In spite of the challenges, this participatory research project using CHWs in the Dominican Republic was successful for a number of reasons: (a) local leaders supported the project and chose the CHWs who became the participant researchers; (b) the CHWs were literate and eager to learn; (c) the mothers were willing to share their beliefs and perceptions with the CHWs; (d) analysis of the data provided helpful new insights; (e) results of the analysis were immediately implemented in the health projects; and (f) the CHWs who participated demonstrated increased self-confidence and decision-making ability as they progressed through the process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)