Working With the Community for Improved Health

Sustaining healthy populations and creating a context that facilitates health may require a broader perspective, such as that embodied in community participation. But some health specialists think that community participation is time-consuming and does not really improve health outcomes. Participatory processes can be protracted and progress toward health goals delayed, requiring heavy time and resource investments that may not be matched by the achievement of desired results. This Health Bulletin explores community participation in health, using five case studies of participatory processes and their role in instigating important health and well-being benefits. This Bulletin is the third in a series that seeks to understand and convey the important qualitative issues that determine health status