Perceptions and determinants of partnership trust in the context of Community-Based Participatory Research

Authors

Arelis Moore de Peralta, Clemson UniversityFollow
Julie Smithwick, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow
Myriam E. Torres, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow

Keywords

Partnership trust; Community-Engaged Research and Interventions; Community-Based Participatory Research; U.S.-Hispanics; Health Disparities

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Community-Based Research | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies | Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

Trust is difficult to conceptualize and define because of its diverse applications in different disciplines. Historic mistrust between vulnerable communities and researchers based on past adverse experiences can negatively affect the ability to collaborate and conduct effective research with such populations. Community Based-Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that can reduce historic mistrust and health disparities among minority populations. Although how trust development occurs in CBPR partnerships has been explored, there is a need to determine how to move from one stage to the next in fostering and maintaining that trust. The present study contributes to this discussion by addressing the lack of a shared operational definition of partnership trust and of how to measure it in the CBPR literature. We modified Dietz and Den Hartog’s (2006) Multi-dimensional Measure of Trust Model to investigate contextual factors that influence perceptions and development of trust in collaborative partnerships pursuing the reduction of health disparities. We conducted focus groups and key informant interviews with English and Spanish speaking stakeholders of a culturally relevant health promotion organization in the southeastern United States. Stakeholders reported experiencing different types of partnership trust depending on their role, and the length and nature of involvement with the organization. We identified determinants of partnership trust among stakeholders, including organizational, socio-economic, and cultural determinants. Most study participants agreed that trust with Hispanic communities is built slowly, with personal face-to-face contact and follow-up, and that engaging stakeholders throughout the process of working together in an intentional way is vital to building and maintaining trust. Findings of this study will inform the development of a culturally and linguistically relevant quantitative instrument to measure partnership trust in the context of CBPR.

Recommended Citation

Moore de Peralta, Arelis; Smithwick, Julie; and Torres, Myriam E. (2020) "Perceptions and determinants of partnership trust in the context of Community-Based Participatory Research," Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol13/iss1/4