Moving Beyond Performative Research Methods: Advancing Health Equity Through Transformative Community-Based Participatory Research Praxis

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) promises equity but often falls short, reproducing power imbalances and tokenistic engagement. This perspective calls for a transformative CBPR praxis grounded in intersectionality, positionality, and critical consciousness. We critique superficial applications of CBPR and propose actionable commitments: community sovereignty, intersectional accountability, structural reflexivity, critical action priorities, epistemic justice, and institutional reform. By interrogating researcher privilege and systemic inequities, CBPR can move beyond symbolic inclusion toward authentic collaboration that centers community voice and authority. Transformative CBPR is essential for advancing health equity and resisting exploitative research practices.