A roadmap for authentic community/academic engagement for developing effective community preterm birth education.

Evidence-based care, behavioral interventions, and new technologies applied during the perinatal period are insufficient by themselves to reduce or eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality. Traditional health and behavioral interventions, and the structures through which they are delivered, do not facilitate adherence to behavioral or health recommendations at home or in the community. The translation of research into practice in the absence of community involvement often results in interventions that are irrelevant to community needs, insensitive to existing culture, inconsistent with the resources available, and strain existing community assets. Using a community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) process, the Healthy African American Families project in Los Angeles developed a multilevel, risk communications strategy to promote awareness about preterm birth in the local community. This paper provides a roadmap, giving insight into the CPPR model and processes involved in the development of the risk communications strategy.