Reporting results back in Health and demographic surveillance systems (HDSS): an ethical requirement and a strategy for improving health behaviours
Global health
30
Issue: 2
(11 - 2016)
This paper addresses the issue of reporting results back in Health and demographic
surveillance systems (HDSS). In these particular research platforms, populations are
constantly solicited through the longitudinal demographic follow-up and additional surveys.
Therefore, reporting results back directly to participants should be considered as a strong
ethical requirement. However, like in most health oriented research, results are mostly
disseminated among decision makers and local authorities. Therefore, HDSS residents
increasingly question the objectives of these studies. Using a participatory approach, 3 days
were organized in 2015 to report back findings based on 50 years of research on population,
health and environment in the Niakhar HDSS in Senegal. Drawing from the evaluation
conducted among a sample of participants to the event, we show that beyond the ethical
dimension, such activities may also contribute to change populations’ attitudes to research
practices and further influence individuals’ health behaviors at the local level.
Keywords: Demographic and health surveillance systems; Ethics; Report results back;
behavioral change; Participatory approach
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