Approach

Community-Based Research Approach

This project began as a partnership between the Monterey County Health Department, a family medicine physician at Natividad Medical Center, and researchers at RTI International in San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley. Community input has been vital to the design of the project. We will continue to actively seek this input during all phases of the work. As this phase of the research focuses on youth during the period of emerging adulthood, we will work with a Youth Advisory Board to contribute to the study.

Community Advisory Board (CAB)

We convened a CAB for the first phase of the A Crecer study. The CAB met 2-4 times per year to provide community input on key aspects of the work. CAB membership was diverse, including young people, those working with parents, school representatives, healthcare providers, and others. The CAB provided critical guidance to the project team through each stage of the project. CAB members have advised the study on strategies relating to recruitment (connecting with parents and teens) and retention (maintaining youth interest in the study), as well as responded to study results to help with interpretation and thinking about their application to local programs and efforts to support youth. The CAB played a key role in making sure that the research leads to improved adolescent health and wellness in Salinas.