Addressing perinatal disparities using community-based participatory research: data into action

Striking racial disparities in infant mortality exist in the United States, with rates of infant death among African Americans nearly twice the national average. Community‐based participatory research approaches have been successful in fostering collaborative relationships between communities and researchers that are focused on developing effective and sustainable interventions and programs that target the needs of the community. The current article details the use of the Perinatal Period of Risk model as a method to engage communities by identifying factors influencing racial disparities in infant mortality and examining changes in those factors over a 10‐year period. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.