Community Case Study
General
The article is of interest to PCD readers.
The article fits the mission of the journal to address the interface between applied prevention research and public health practice in chronic disease prevention.
The article spotlights community engagement efforts in the context of a community-based, disease-related intervention or program. A community can be defined by geography (eg, region, municipality), institution (eg, worksite, church), similar characteristics (eg, sex, race, age), or other factors.
The title accurately reflects the content of the manuscript.
The manuscript adds substantially to what is already known about the topic.
The manuscript is clearly and concisely written and is free of jargon.
Each section of the manuscript — Background, Community Context, Methods, Outcome, Interpretation — includes the appropriate elements. The sections are clearly delineated.
The citations are up to date and relevant. All statements requiring citations have citations.
The Acknowledgments identify funding for the study.
The article has no more than 3,000 words and 20 references.
If the article includes photographs, illustrations, newspaper clippings, short video or audio recordings (up to 5 minutes), multimedia, or other information, they are relevant and can be delivered or linked to via the Web.
Abstract
A structured abstract has the following subheadings: Background, Community Context, Methods, Outcome, and Interpretation.
The abstract accurately reflects the content of the manuscript.
The abstract has no more than 250 words.
Background
The disease and related problem (eg, low screening rates, lack of physical activity) addressed by the intervention or program is introduced.
Scientific knowledge on the disease or problem, including a few references, is described.
The importance of the problem is explained.
Definitions of terms specific to the context of the manuscript are provided.
The authors appear to know their subject.
The section is no more than 300 words.
Community Context
The community in which the intervention or program takes place is introduced and described in detail.
The community described must meet the definition of community. (See Point 3 in General above.)
The sociodemographic characteristics of the community are provided.
Other aspects of the community relevant to the problem (eg, racial, ethnic, or cultural diversity; economic base; recreational facilities; common diet; support systems) are described.
The authors describe the health problem as it exists in the community.
The authors explain why the problem exists in the community.
The authors state 2 objectives. They first state briefly and concisely the objective of the disease-related intervention or program. The authors then state the objective of the community engagement efforts.
Outcomes of interest for the community engagement efforts are stated. Outcomes must be based on changes in the way the community became engaged in planning or implementing the intervention or program.
Methods
The intervention or program is described briefly.
The plan for engaging the community in the program or intervention is described in detail.
The ways in which community members were identified as potential partners in the health initiative are addressed.
The process of recruiting partners is explained.
The authors describe how adequate representation of diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural perspectives was determined.
The involvement of community partners in identifying or modifying the intervention or program is addressed.
The authors explain how partners were engaged in data collection or analysis or both.
The way in which information was communicated by public health practitioners to partners and the general community is addressed.
Mechanisms for feedback from the community to public health practitioners are described.
Funding and other resources required to implement the community engagement plan are outlined.
The development and distribution of promotional materials are explained.
A timeline is provided.
The authors explain why they selected the particular elements of their approach to the community instead of other possible options.
A plan for assessing the success of the community engagement efforts is described; the plan is based on the stated objectives and outcomes of interest.
The authors state whether the plan for assessing success is based on quantitative or qualitative data.
If the manuscript describes research involving human subjects, it includes a statement that the research was approved by an appropriate institutional review board.
Outcome
The effect of the community engagement efforts is assessed.
The assessment is focused on the extent to which the efforts met stated objectives and the plan outlined in the Methods section was followed.
The authors describe how standard practice of community engagement changed.
New partners and new mechanisms for involving partners are identified.
Processes and activities that promoted or impeded success are described.
Unexpected successes (or challenges) are highlighted.
Feedback is described for both directions: how effective were communication efforts between public health practitioners and members of the community?
Outcomes of interest (ie, changes in the community) are described either qualitatively or quantitatively.
Data are provided.
Interpretation
The objective and outcomes of the community engagement efforts are addressed.
The authors discuss whether the activity was worthwhile and how they would do things differently next time.
Advice and insight are offered to other communities interested in setting up a similar program.
The interpretation sounds logical on the basis of the evidence provided in the previous sections.
Speculation and overgeneralization are avoided.
The section ends with a clear, concise conclusion that does not go beyond the scope of the study.
Tables and Figures
The tables and figures are well constructed, easy to comprehend, and visually appealing.
Information in the tables or figures is not duplicated in the text.
Information in the tables or figures is consistent with information in the text.
Numbers add up correctly.
The tables and figures are able to stand independently; they do not require explanation from the text.
The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors’ affiliated institutions.
