How should researchers select the geographic locations of interventions to reduce health disparities? This paper presents the lessons learned from community-engaged selection process, in which a community-academic partnership of over 20 organizations worked to generate a 5-stage process to select an area for diabetes prevention and control programs. In conclusion, the authors suggest that using a participatory approach can be an effective way to define geographic areas for research and intervention.

Cromley, E., Kleinman, L.C., Ramos, M.A., Arniella, G. , Viswanathan, M.G., & Hrowitz, C.R. (2011). A community-engaged approach to select geographic areas for interventions to reduce health disparities. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 5(3), 299-305. Full Text.