A community-based case study of the co-construction of an online intervention with gay and bisexual men who use substances

ABSTRACT

Collaboration between academic researchers and community members is a cornerstone of community-based research. The success of a project’s results depends on this collaboration. Currently collaborative practices are mostly documented from the researchers’ perspective. Based on a case study of the development of the MyBuzz.ca online intervention for gay and bisexual men who use substances, this article aims to describe components associated with the co-construction process to identify practices that have enabled stronger collaborations with community stakeholders and led to their increased involvement in research. A thematic analysis of eight semi-structured interviews was conducted to identify participants’ perceptions of their participation, their roles, and decision-making with respect to the development of the brief online intervention. Results highlight the importance of establishing prerequisites to foster a positive co-construction experience. Working on an issue that affects the community was one of the elements that encouraged participation in this project. The perspectives of stakeholders (other than academic researchers) support the importance of prerequisites and working on issues affecting the community in successfully conducting community-based research. This study also provides an opportunity to model these elements to foster the co-construction process in community-based research. It highlights facilitators and obstacles to co-construction while underscoring the benefits for various members of the community to participate in this type of study.

KEYWORDS:

• Community-based research
• co-construction
• gbMSM
• case study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This article was made possible by the financial support of the MAC AIDS Fund (N-P-15-20716). It’s possible that the funding cannot be found in the Open Funder Registry. M.A.C AIDS Fund is a public charity supporting people with HIV/AIDS worldwide. It donates funds to communities and organizations that offer services to people with HIV/AIDS and help to prevent the disease through educational programs. The sale of Viva Glam brand products provides financial support.