Community-Based Participatory Research in Developing Online Nutrition Tools: A Pathway to Relevance and Engagement

Digital tools have become essential for extending nutrition education beyond in-person settings, yet their effectiveness depends on how well they reflect the communities they serve. This article explores how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles can guide the development of online nutrition tools that are culturally relevant, accessible, and sustainable within Extension programs.

Introduction

Technology has become an increasingly vital part of nutrition education, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital platforms allowed programs to continue reaching families remotely.⁴ While these tools expanded access to nutrition education, many were developed for communities via outside researchers rather than in collaboration with them, resulting in resources that did not always reflect participants’ lived experiences, cultural contexts, or daily needs. CBPR offers a solution by engaging community members as equal partners throughout the development process. This approach emphasizes collaboration, mutual respect, and shared ownership principles that align closely with Extension’s mission to create research-based programs that are responsive, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of the people they serve. Applying CBPR in digital nutrition tool design helps ensure that technology serves as a platform for authentic community connection and empowerment.⁴

What is Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)?

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative research approach that actively engages community members in the research process. CBPR empowers communities by involving them at every stage of the research process, from identifying the problem to collecting data and interpreting the results. This approach emphasizes the importance of local knowledge, perspectives, and community strengths by fostering better partnerships between researchers and community members. CBPR aims to address health disparities and social issues by ensuring that the research is relevant and beneficial to the communities involved. CBPR is well-positioned to address these issues because it provides an inclusive and flexible research framework that fosters cultural humility, co-learning, and trust. This allows for more participant-centered, transformative, and sustainable approaches to the research process.¹

Core Principles

Community-based participatory research is a flexible approach that can be adapted for diverse community partnerships. CBPR requires that community members define the problems to be assessed, be consulted about the cultural and social aspects of the study population, and serve in an advisory capacity throughout the entire project. The core principles of CBPR are:²

• Community is the key unit of identity in CBPR.
• CBPR researchers acknowledge, promote, and utilize community strengths and resources for the betterment of the study.
• CBPR addresses issues of race, ethnicity, sexism and social class and embraces cultural humility.
• CBPR is guided by an ecological, multideterminant perspective that acknowledges people are shaped by not only internal motivations, but by familial, communal, societal, and geopolitical forces.
• CBPR aims to build equitable research partnerships.
• The CBPR process is cyclical and adapts as the study progresses.
• CBPR strives to create relevant, sustainable and positive change for communities.

These core principles stand in stark contrast to traditional, top-down research approaches that are not centered on community engagement or participation.² Often in traditional research, individuals and communities are passive subjects of the study, with little input or consideration of their needs and interests. Traditional research questions stem from a professional imperative to contribute to generalizable scientific knowledge, as well as from funding priorities and the academic interests of researchers and institutions. During a traditional research study, the research design remains unchanged; the researchers are responsible for and decide on the data collection methods, measures, data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. Typically, researchers using the traditional approach do not make their data and findings available to the community they studied, and the study’s programs and interventions are discontinued after the research project concludes.²

The Relevance to EFNEP

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is particularly relevant to the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the populations it serves because it prioritizes equitable collaboration between national-level researchers, state-level staff, and community members. By actively engaging participants in the design, implementation, and evaluation of programming, CBPR ensures that interventions are culturally appropriate, responsive to local needs, and sensitive to structural barriers such as transportation, language, and food access. By using this approach, EFNEP can ensure that programs are created with the community, not just for them. As a result, EFNEP can better foster trust, enhance participant engagement, and promote capacity-building within underserved communities. CBPR not only strengthens the effectiveness of EFNEP’s nutrition education efforts but also supports the development of sustainable, community-driven solutions that extend beyond the program’s immediate scope.

The Value of CBPR in Designing Digital Nutrition Tools

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) ensures that digital nutrition tools are shaped by the people who use them, making them more relevant, trusted, and impactful. By incorporating participants’ language, food traditions, family dynamics, and cultural customs, CBPR fosters cultural resonance and helps create tools that reflect real-life experiences. This approach enables designers to create platforms that utilize familiar foods, recipes, and communication styles to promote meaningful behavior change.^3,4

Research with African American women in Washington, D.C., reveals that culturally tailored content has a significant impact on engagement. Participants emphasized the importance of digital health tools that reflect local realities, cultural values, and lived experiences—a principle that directly applies to nutrition education.⁵ Similar findings indicate that marginalized groups, including low-income households and older adults, frequently encounter cultural and linguistic barriers that hinder their comfort with technology and participation in digital programs.⁶ The Health-SMART program, which studied health promotion and adverse health prevention for older black adults, provides a compelling example of cultural alignment by integrating health promotion within faith-based settings, demonstrating how programs grounded in community traditions and values foster stronger adoption and improved health outcomes.⁷

Accessibility is another core element of CBPR. Digital inclusion encompasses more than just internet access; it also involves device availability, digital literacy, and user comfort. Many households face inconsistent connectivity or a lack of experience with online platforms. Through ongoing dialogue with participants, CBPR helps identify these barriers and informs the design of tools that function effectively across devices, including offline or low-data options, while remaining intuitive for users with limited technological experience.^3,4 Studies show that while smartphone use is widespread, confidence varies; some users rely on family members for technical assistance or struggle with tasks such as app updates and data entry.⁵ Research on the digital divide suggests that accessibility must be intentional, incorporating user training and adaptable design features to ensure inclusivity.⁶ The Health-SMART program’s success with flexible and clear educational materials further illustrates how tailoring delivery methods enhances the reach and usability of digital nutrition tools.⁷

Trust and community buy-in are equally critical to success. CBPR builds this trust by positioning community members as partners in every stage of development. When participants see their perspectives reflected in the final product, they are more likely to engage with it and sustain its use over time.^3,4 Collaboration with community organizations and local leaders creates shared ownership and credibility. Research on mobile health technology interventions, such as physical health and nutrition tracking apps, indicates that programs grounded in community values are perceived as more authentic and trustworthy.⁵ CBPR also helps address historical skepticism toward research, particularly among marginalized populations who may fear surveillance or misuse of data.⁶ The Health-SMART project exemplifies how partnerships with trusted leaders, such as pastors and local advocates, strengthen participation and long-term impact.⁷

Finally, CBPR promotes sustainability by supporting tools that evolve with community needs. Continuous feedback ensures that digital nutrition platforms remain relevant as food prices, dietary recommendations, and technologies evolve.^3,4 Participants in mobile health studies emphasized the importance of adaptability and personal relevance, noting that digital resources must grow with their changing lives.⁵ CBPR frameworks enable this adaptability through shared ownership, capacity building, and iterative design.⁶ The Health-SMART program’s ability to sustain community-led health initiatives beyond the initial study demonstrates how CBPR fosters long-term engagement and self-sufficiency.⁷

Applying CBPR to Digital Tool Development: A Step-by-Step Approach

Strong partnerships form the foundation of CBPR. In digital nutrition projects, these partnerships often include program participants, nutrition educators, local organizations, and technology designers. Early collaboration ensures that all perspectives inform the development process and that the final tool reflects both community priorities and technical feasibility.^3,7 Once partnerships are established, researchers and educators can conduct needs assessment utilizing surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gain a deeper understanding of how families utilize technology, their barriers to access, and their preferred learning methods. These assessments reveal important gaps in digital literacy, food access, and device availability, ensuring that design decisions are grounded in real-life conditions.^4,5,6

Through this foundation, CBPR transforms community members from research subjects into co-creators. Collaborative design sessions, prototyping, and feedback loops enable participants to shape recipes, visuals, and interactive features that reflect their preferences and values.^3,7 After initial development, usability testing with community participants allows developers to refine design and functionality before full implementation. This process helps identify issues such as confusing navigation or technological barriers, ensuring that tools are practical, intuitive, and engaging.^4,5

Finally, evaluation becomes a shared process rather than an external judgment. Families, educators, and researchers can collaboratively analyze results to determine whether the tool improves nutrition knowledge, cooking confidence, and behavior change.^3,7 This joint evaluation reinforces shared ownership, strengthens accountability, and enhances the long-term impact of the digital nutrition tool.

Challenges and Considerations

Developing digital nutrition tools through CBPR requires a significant amount of time and resources. Building relationships, collecting feedback, and refining prototypes takes longer than traditional development processes but is essential for maintaining authenticity and cultural relevance.^3,7 Programs must plan for these extended timelines and allocate the necessary staffing and funding to support meaningful collaboration.

Effective collaboration also requires careful management of expectations and power dynamics. Differences in expertise and authority among researchers, designers, and community members can create imbalances that influence decision-making. Research shows that facilitators play a crucial role in ensuring that all voices are valued, participants feel heard, and communities remain equal partners throughout the process.^4,6

Maintaining academic rigor while honoring community priorities can be another challenge. Researchers may need to adapt traditional methods or outcome measures to better reflect local realities without compromising scientific integrity.^5,7 This flexibility allows digital nutrition tools to remain both evidence-based and user-centered, ensuring they are practical, engaging, and relevant to real-world needs.

Ultimately, technological limitations and inequities continue to shape how communities interact with digital tools. Some families experience limited internet access, rely on outdated devices, or have lower levels of digital literacy.⁶ Designing mobile-friendly options with digital literacy support, as well as offline options, helps bridge these gaps and ensures that all participants can benefit equally from online nutrition education.

Recommendations for Extension Professionals

Extension professionals can enhance the effectiveness, equity, and sustainability of their education programs by integrating CBPR principles into their work. First, professionals should prioritize authentic partnerships with community members, recognizing them as co-creators rather than passive recipients of services. This involves engaging the participants, local organizations, and community leaders from the beginning of a partnership to define community priorities, identify barriers, and co-develop culturally responsive interventions. Extension staff should also adopt a cultural humility approach by valuing local knowledge, traditions, and lived experiences as essential components of program design and delivery. Incorporating focus groups and community advisory boards ensures that programming remains adaptive and relevant to evolving community needs. Extension professionals should address digital inclusion by assessing participants’ access to technology, digital literacy levels, and preferred communication methods, ensuring that digital nutrition tools are accessible across diverse platforms and literacy levels. Transparent communication, shared decision-making, and equitable distribution of benefits further strengthen trust and long-term engagement with both participants and community partnerships. Finally, Extension professionals should advocate for institutional support, funding, and time allocation to sustain CBPR partnerships, as meaningful collaboration and co-learning require ongoing investment from not only programming teams but also administrative leaders. By embedding CBPR practices into program planning, implementation, and evaluation, Extension professionals can foster more inclusive, culturally grounded, and impactful nutrition education initiatives.

Conclusion

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) provides a framework for developing equitable, culturally grounded, and sustainable approaches to community education, particularly within programs such as the EFNEP. By centering community voices and fostering authentic partnerships and collaboration, CBPR goes beyond traditional top-down research models to create interventions that genuinely reflect the lived experiences, priorities, and strengths of the populations served by EFNEP and Extension. This inclusive approach bolsters a community’s trust in and engagement with Extension but also produces more relevant and impactful outcomes that address the root causes of health disparities. In the development of digital nutrition tools, CBPR ensures that technology aligns with cultural values, accessibility needs, and user preferences, ultimately bridging the gap between innovation and inclusion. Although CBPR requires additional time, resources, and flexibility, its long-term benefits of stronger partnerships, deeper community ownership, and sustained behavior change outweigh the implementation challenges. For Extension professionals, adopting CBPR principles represents a critical opportunity to advance social equity, promote co-learning, and empower communities to work towards improving their own health and nutrition outcomes.

References Cited

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2. Duke, M. (2020, November 19). Community-based participatory research. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.013.225
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4. Madden, D. A., Goytia, C., Berhane, T., Hassan, S., Reyes, D., Sotelo, I., Horowitz, C. R., & Vangeepuram, N. (2025). Lessons learned from virtual collaborations piloting online platforms for practicing and promoting community-based participatory research. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 6(2).
5. Claudel, S. E., Ceasar, J. N., Andrews, M. R., El-Toukhy, S., Farmer, N., Middleton, K. R., Sabado-Liwag, M., Mitchell, V. M., Tamura, K., Brooks, A. T., et al. (2020). Time to listen: A mixed-method study examining community-based views of mobile technology for interventions to promote physical activity. BMJ Health & Care Informatics, 27(3), Article e100140. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjhci-2020-100140
6. Franzen, E. (2021, September 19). A proposal for evaluating the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in digital divide studies.
7. Tucker, C. M., Wippold, G. M., Roncoroni, J., Henry, M. A., Klein, K. G., Garrepy, M., Ateyah, W., Burwell, A., Walker, H., Clements, L. M., et al. (2022). Impact of the Health-Smart Holistic Health Program: A CBPR approach to improve health and prevent adverse outcomes for Black older adults. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, 3(4), 589–607. https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770221099586