Summary

In this study session you have learned that:

1. Health research investigates health needs and health-related problems and aims to develop better solutions to resolve them. A community survey is a type of health research aimed at investigating local health needs and suggesting solutions to priority health problems.
2. Community surveys and other forms of health research should begin with a clear statement of the problem, have clear objectives and a plan that is directed towards the solution of a particular problem. They should be simple to carry out and the results should be based on observable and accurate evidence.
3. Researchers should have appropriate expertise in data collection methods and study design, their findings should be carefully recorded and reported, and the research should be reproducible by different investigators using the same methods.
4. Participation of community members, healthworkers, policymakers and other stakeholders in the design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation of health research results is important for maximum acceptability and effectiveness of decisions based on the outcomes. Local stakeholder participation is essential for the success of a community survey.
5. Different types of health research can be conducted, including pure or applied research, quantitative or qualitative studies, with cross-sectional or longitudinal designs.
6. The results of health research (including community surveys) have most impact if they can influence policy and practice by health professionals and community members at a local level.
7. National censuses, large-scale surveys and local community surveys are types of health research that involve the systematic collection of demographic and epidemiological data. The main data collection methods are questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions.
8. The basic questions asked by health researchers focus on the health needs of the respondents, the available interventions and resources, and the possibility that environmental management or collaboration with other sectors could help to resolve identified health problems.