Community Participation: Necessity, Excuse, or Strategy? What Are We Talking about When We Refer to Community Participation

The relevance, methods of implementation, & outcomes of community participation (CP) in health care & health promotion programs are examined. The term CP includes many heterogeneous programs that can be categorized along three interacting dimensions: (1) theoretical & ideological underpinnings; (2) aspects of programs implemented & Ss influenced by intervention; & (3) forms of actual CP. The role of social research & qualitative methodology in the implementation of CP in health care programs is considered. Challenges that all programs, despite differences in conception & implementation, must overcome are discussed. 23 References. Adapted from the source document.