The Oregon migrant farmworker community: An evolving model for participatory research

Migrant farmworker communities present distinct challenges that require new approaches for community participation in research. In the State of Oregon an agency that advocates for the migrant farmworker community has collabor ated successfully with university researchers to implement a research progr am directed to reducing pesticide exposures among the children of migrant f armworkers. The research process has included both qualitative research met hods with members of the community and quantitative approaches to measure p esticide dust residues in homes. biomarkers of pesticide exposure, and effe cts on health. A committee of university and community stakeholders advises the research. Evaluative processes have been initiated to assess the effec tiveness of the participatory model used in this project. The components of the preliminary process evaluation and results are presented. Evaluative d ata show that researchers and community members differ on perceptions of co mmunity involvement and the extent to which communication problems have bee n resolved between the two groups. Suggestions for improved community invol vement and communication are given.