Download a PDF version.
This policy statement fills a gap identified by the Joint Policy Committee to address persistent and widening health inequities in the United States by advancing community-based participatory practice. Despite high health care expenditures, the United States continues to underperform in health outcomes relative to other high-income nations, with recent alarming drops in life expectancy. The systems and structures that perpetuate these widening health inequities necessitate comprehensive public health strategies that encompass meaningful collaborative engagement between communities and public health practitioners.
This policy statement advocates for widespread adoption of community-based participatory practices throughout the public health field, emphasizing the inclusion of community members in every stage of the public health process. This includes incorporating the lived experiences of community members as a valuable form of expertise, developing action-focused feedback loops to refine interventions, and ensuring data equity to address systemic biases. The statement also underscores the importance of community-based participatory research as a mechanism to meaningfully engage communities in addressing critical gaps in information about public health challenges. In addition, it urges the field to move toward power sharing and collective control in decision-making processes, including the formation of community research review boards to ensure ethical and community-aligned research practices. The overall aim is to foster a more inclusive, equitable, and effective public health system that genuinely addresses the needs and priorities of all communities, particularly those historically marginalized and disproportionately affected by health inequities.