Health Companion Project: A community-based participatory research model for health promotion in Iran

“This paper addresses the great potential of using CBPR for health promotion, inspired by experiences from Iran. The case presents a four-year long participative process, the ambition of which was to identify, prioritise and address key health issues in various communities in Iran (Dr. Svante Lifvergren, Associate Editor).

stethoscope with Iranian flagWe conducted a 4-year (2008–2011) community-based participatory research project in the Kohgiloyeh and Boyerahmad provinces, Iran. Engaging stakeholders, including academics, policy makers, health officials, and representatives of health sectors, as health companions, we worked to enable through workshops designed to address need assessment, priority setting, and research methodology. Through the work of the Health Companions using a Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) methodology for data collection, health priority setting, developing of a comprehensive intervention plan, and evaluation, health issues and priorities for each region were identified and intervention programs designed and implemented.

We found that using a community based participatory process with stakeholders was an effective way to build partnerships, develop effective solutions for local health concerns, and promote public health.

We invite you to learn more about this experience by reading our article HERE.

After you’ve had a chance to read this piece, please share your thoughts, ideas, or experiences with our community in the comments below so we can continue this discussion!

Abstract summary provided on behalf of the authors

Behrouz Yazdanpanah, Mitra Safari, Farahosadat Bahreini, Farzad Vafaei, Mohsen Salari, Mehran Yosefi, Masood Rezaei, Ali Hosseni, Mohammad Habibian, Farid Moradian, Behzad Yazdanpanah