A community research partnership to improve the diet of African Americans

Objective: To describe a community research partnership in which a national parent education organization collaborated with academic institutions to develop a dietary change program for underserved African American parents. Methods: Qualitative methods were used to characterize issues that impacted partnership operations. Results: Data are reported on partnership activities including program development and implementation with African American parents. Lessons learned and strategies for improving the partnership are presented. Conclusions: Ongoing assessment and evaluation of how a partnership operates, especially in the context of multiple sites, are important to sustaining successful functioning.