Partnership in Promoting Community Health Research: Ten-Year Evaluation of the Little Village Community Advisory Board

Abstract:Background: Few have examined factors associated with community advisory board (CAB) sustainability from the perspective of members.Objectives: We aimed to provide insight into the formation of a CAB and attributes and challenges to sustaining it in addressing Latino health disparities in Chicago.Methods: The Little Village CAB was formed in 2009 with members representing a wide range of local organizations, including churches, nonprofit organizations, and health centers. We analyzed annual survey results sent to members over a 10-year period. Likert-type questions assessed five domains: mission, commitment, communication, respect/trust, and teamwork/balance of power. We also analyzed free-text responses to determine prevalent themes. Ten years of CAB monthly meeting minutes were used to form word clouds which were assessed for changes across years.Results: Survey questions demonstrated high averages across all years for each domain with minimal variation. Free-text responses indicated that members initially joined the CAB owing to request or interest in community health. CAB attributes included mission, community focus, openness/respect, teamwork, and leadership. Areas for improvement included broadening membership, clarifying goals periodically, and meeting structure. Meeting minutes demonstrated a progression from program creation to maintenance across the years.Conclusions: The CAB rated openness/respect, community focus, and commitment to mission high across all 10 years. Areas for improvement included broadening membership and clarifying goals periodically. In forming a CAB to address health disparities in a Latino community, researchers must be aware of factors that motivated members to join and remain engaged with an academic team using an iterative evaluative process.