A Community-Based Participatory Approach to Personalized, Computer-Generated Nutrition Feedback Reports: The Healthy Environments Partnership

• Published in: Progress in community health partnerships 2008, Vol.2 (1), p.41-53
• Main Authors: Kannan, Srimathi, Ayra, Indira, Rowe, Zachary, Miller, Patricia, Benjamin, Alison, Schulz, Amy, Israel, Barbara, Weir, Sheryl, Dvonch, Timothy J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Community Participation - methods; Community-Based Participatory Research - methods; Electronic Health Records; Feeding Behavior; Health Priorities; Health Promotion - methods; Humans; Nutrition Assessment; Patient Access to Records; Social Marketing
• ISSN: 1557-0541; 1557-055X; 1557-055X
• DOI: 10.1353/cpr.2008.0004

Computer tailoring and personalizing recommendations for dietary health-promoting behaviors are in accordance with community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, which emphasizes research that benefits the participants and community involved. To describe the CBPR process utilized to computer-generate and disseminate personalized nutrition feedback reports (NFRs) for Detroit Healthy Environments Partnership (HEP) study participants. The CBPR process included discussion and feedback from HEP partners on several draft personalized reports. The nutrition feedback process included defining the feedback objectives; prioritizing the nutrients; customizing the report design; reviewing and revising the NFR template and readability; producing and disseminating the report; and participant follow-up. Application of CBPR principles in designing the NFR resulted in a reader-friendly product with useful recommendations to promote heart health. A CBPR process can enhance computer tailoring of personalized NFRs to address racial and socioeconomic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD).