"Girls take charge": a community-based participatory research program for adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND Adolescent females are at high risk for health disparities. An approach to minimizing health disparities involves facilitating changes in the environment within the community. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an important method of producing community change. OBJECTIVES The objectives were for adolescent females to learn the CBPR process, implement a community health change project, and build capacity by engaging community agencies. METHODS After conducting an assessment of community problems, the adolescents formed a coalition of community partners and implemented a Lead Poisoning Awareness Fair and a "lock-in" to educate about child maltreatment. A pre- and post-test research design was used. RESULTS The community changes that resulted were policy change for routine lead testing, a DVD about child maltreatment, and care packages for adolescent mothers. Modest increases in knowledge about lead poisoning and child maltreatment occurred. CONCLUSION Adolescent females were successful in using CBPR to produce positive community changes.