Participatory praxis as an imperative for health-related stigma research

Laurel Sprague; Rima Afifi; George Ayala; Musah Lumumba El-nasoor

doi:10.1186/s12916-019-1263-3

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Participatory praxis as an imperative for health-related stigma research

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Participatory praxis as an imperative for health-related stigma research

Laurel Sprague, Rima Afifi, George Ayala and Musah Lumumba El-nasoor

BMC medicine, Vol.17(1), pp.32-32

02/15/2019

DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1263-3

PMCID: PMC6376721

PMID: 30764812

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Abstract

Background: Participatory praxis is increasingly valued for the reliability, validity, and relevance of research results that it fosters. Participatory methods become an imperative in health-related stigma research, where the constitutive elements of stigma, healthcare settings, and research each operate on hierarchies that push those with less social power to the margins. Discussion: Particularly for people who are stigmatized, participatory methods balance the scales of equity by restructuring power relationships. As such, participatory praxis facilitates a research process that is responsive to community-identified priorities and creates community ownership of the research, catalyzing policy change at multiple levels and foregrounds, and addresses risks to communities from participating in research. Additionally, through upholding the agency and leadership of communities facing stigma, it can help to mitigate stigma's harmful effects. Health-related stigma research can reduce the health inequities faced by stigmatized groups if funders and institutions require and reward community participation and if researchers commit to reflexive, participatory practices. A research agenda focused on participatory praxis in health-related stigma research could stimulate increased use of such methods. Conclusion: For community-engaged practice to become more than an ethical aspiration, structural changes in the funding, training, publishing, and tenure processes will be necessary.

AIDS

community engagement

community-based participatory research

health

HIV

Opinion

participatory praxis

stigma

Details

Title: Subtitle: Participatory praxis as an imperative for health-related stigma research
Creators: Laurel Sprague - Geneva, Switzerland
Rima Afifi - Iowa City, Iowa USA
George Ayala - MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health and Rights, Oakland, California USA
Musah Lumumba El-nasoor - Uganda Youth Coalition on Adolescent SRHR and HIV, Busia, Uganda
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: BMC medicine, Vol.17(1), pp.32-32
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1263-3
PMID: 30764812
PMCID: PMC6376721
NLM abbreviation: BMC Med
ISSN: 1741-7015
eISSN: 1741-7015
Publisher: BioMed Central
Grant note: TF 054952 LE / ;
Language: English
Date published: 02/15/2019
Academic Unit: Injury Prevention Research Center; Community and Behavioral Health
Record Identifier: 9984214711802771

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