Engaging the National Youth Football Community in a Child Sexual Abuse Research Advisory Board.

Abstract

Background: While research advisory boards are common in community-based research, there are challenges with forming a board on sensitive topics and among communities who are less often engaged in research such as youth football organizations.

Objectives: We share our processes for forming a national board, challenges associated with engaging some football community members, and feedback from our board members.

Methods: Board members were recruited with a multidisciplinary team of youth football organization employees. Researchers compared demographic characteristics of interested individuals who joined the board to those who did not.

Lessons learned: Board members were different in several ways to those who did not participate. Additionally, board members experienced minimal harm from participating in discussions on sensitive topics.

Conclusions: Although several interested individuals joined the board, more than one-half of the interested individuals did not. It is important for researchers to make intentional efforts to engage underrepresented individuals and ensure the research is beneficial to all community members.