Using Community Based Research Frameworks to Develop and Implement a Church-Based Program to Prevent Diabetes and Its Complications for Samoan Communities in South Western Sydney

Abstract

Pasifika communities bear a disproportionate burden of diabetes compared to the general Australian population. Community-based participatory research (CBPR), which involves working in partnership with researchers and communities to address local health needs, has gained prominence as a model of working with underserved communities. This paper describes how Le Taeao Afua (LTA) Samoan diabetes prevention program was underpinned by two CBPR frameworks to develop a culturally tailored church-based lifestyle intervention to prevent diabetes and its complications in the Australian Samoan community. The name LTA, which means ‘a new dawn,’ was chosen by the community to signify a new dawn without diabetes in the Australian Samoan community. Strategies for engaging with the Australian Samoan community in South Western Sydney are discussed mapped to the key principles from the CBPR frameworks. In particular, this paper highlights the steps involved in building relationships with Samoan community leaders and the vital role of community activators and peer support facilitators in the success of delivering the program. Lessons learnt, such as the importance of church and maintaining a Samoan way of life in daily activities, and processes to build effective partnerships and maintain long-term relationships with the Australian Samoan community, are also discussed. Our paper, through providing a case example of how to apply CBPR frameworks, will help guide future community-based health promotion programs for underserved communities.