Transcreating approaches to addressing disproportionate impacts on health in Colorado communities: the Colorado Community Engagement Alliance multi-year study

Background: Social and structural factors that influence health continue to affect communities across Colorado, with disproportionate impact in populations that have historically experienced limited access to resources and opportunities for health. The Colorado Community Engagement Alliance (CO-CEAL), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), began with efforts to promote COVID-19 awareness and prevention and has since expanded to address chronic conditions and other health outcomes. CO-CEAL seeks to strengthen the translation of medical knowledge and scientific evidence into sustainable, culturally relevant practices and messages that resonate with communities. The initiative also aims to build capacity among community members and foster partnerships both between communities and the University and within communities themselves. Methods: Using the Transcreation Framework, CO-CEAL aims to engage with 5 communities in urban and rural Colorado to co-identify and co-address chronic disease-related issues with interventions that align with community cultural norms and values. CO-CEAL uses Group Model Building to identify leverage points in each community and uses the Community/Boot Camp Translation process to transcreate and disseminate messages and interventions related to chronic disease and mental health using a variety of mediums. CO-CEAL collaborates with community members, identified for their status as trusted messengers and having strong community connections, to build networks of community members from various sectors/roles to participate in project activities, including Boot Camp Translation, data collection, and participatory community meetings. Discussion: This study will provide an understanding of how to impact key drivers of disproportionate impacts on community co-identified health priorities by adapting and implementing appropriate interventions using community engagement strategies. Clinical trial registration: Identifier OT2HL158287.