Realist approach to community-based participatory research on a community health break-down in Japan: Mechanism reasoning, knowledge and a trust partnership

Abstract

Abstract Background: Our 10-year program of community health regeneration and community-based participatory research (CBPR) was initially an unseen effort. However, as a result, we were able to succeed in creating a collaboration between residents, medical staff, and administrative staff. We adopted the realistic approach as an evaluation method. Methods: The realist approach evaluates a program with a Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration (CMOc), which is a relatively new methodology. First, the program manager summarized the entire program into CMOc, and then conducted questionnaires and interviews with seven core members, and summarized each into a CMOc. The program was evaluated with particular attention paid to the mechanism reasoning. Results: The number of doctors and nurses increased, and the residents became more active. The success factors were the acquisition of participants' knowledge and the acquisition of a trust partnership. In addition, it was important that the timing of the activity was good and that the members were highly conscious. Conclusions: The 10-year CBPR was examined using the realist approach evaluation method. Knowledge acquisition and a trust partnership were important as mechanism reasoning.