Inclusion of Community-Based Participatory Research in High-Impact Medical Journals

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is essential for addressing health care inequities; however, it is unclear to what extent articles published in high-impact medical journals use CPBR. We reviewed original research articles in nine journals across 4 years to determine how frequently CBPR was used and, for articles using CBPR, details about partnerships. Of 5,624 articles, only 6 (0.1%) used CBPR. Five identified community partners and whether partners were involved in research planning/implementation, one reported that partners were involved in dissemination, and none reported adherence to CBPR principles. Improving integration of CBPR is an urgent priority for funders, institutions, journals, and researchers.