Grant: Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data - Patient Oriented Research

The knowledge to action gap, highlighting the time delays for research knowledge to lead to patient impacts through health policy and practice, is notable, and contributed to by scientist-driven singular objective studies limiting the complexity in understanding of phenomena. Partnered research is a collaborative approach that involves researchers and knowledge users (e.g., community collaborators) working together throughout the research process to ensure findings are relevant, accessible, and used in practice. This approach holds promise in reducing the knowledge to action gap and ensuring that Canadian data is accessible and impactful at a community-based level. Importantly, there is an absence of data demonstrating how Canadian researchers can effectively collaborate with community partners in designing, executing, and disseminating research from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). In the current proposed work, we will engage adults ages 55+ and organizational leaders in three community partnership sites (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia) via priority-setting focus groups, to understand the research priorities and questions of greatest interest to our Canadian community partners (in the mental health, loneliness, and social participation space). Following priority setting, we will survey partners for their preferred involvement in specific stages in the research process and evaluate engagement satisfaction throughout the project. We will then work together in analyzing and disseminating findings from the CLSA. This study will not only contribute to research examining the relationship between mental health, loneliness, life satisfaction, and social participation, but most importantly, could assist in model development for partner engagement in epidemiological research.