2023-2024 Faculty Research Grant

Sozina Katuli and Gerson De Leon (Rehabilitation Sciences).

Developing an operation model for Mission trips on health and evangelism in developing countries - The Salama Health project. 

Background: Many mission trips conducted by health workers and evangelists in developing countries have benefitted the communities in Africa. However, some of these benefits have been very short-lived and need to be more sustainable. Once the mission team leaves, the communities are left unattended, with little or no support. This project employs a mission-research grassroots approach.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of the research-mission approach in terms of acceptability and sustainability by using the PRECED/PROCEED model.

Methods: This study employs a mixed study design using the precede-proceed model. As part of the previous studies, a model will be developed using both retrospective and prospective qualitative and quantitative data. The three-part strategy of this project comprises of initial health needs assessment, which was done in 2017 through participatory research, a follow-up visit, with an in-depth investigation of lifestyle conditions identified in the initial visit, accompanied by health care service done in 2021 and 2022, and an evaluation of the project to be done in 2023.  The research done during the second and third visits was part of the previous faculty research grants.  The fourth visit will evaluate this project's acceptability, and sustainability to the community.

Data analysis: Data collected through participatory research will be analyzed on site by grouping emerging themes from FGD, key informant interviews and feedback from the last community meeting. Descriptive statistics of the survey data will also be prepared to quantify the community’s opinion on sustainability, acceptability, and perception of the approach used in this research-mission grassroot approach/model.