Glossary of Terms
In this section we introduce key concepts for community engagement. These concepts are relevant and ongoing through the phases of community engagement and should inform your approach to and evaluation of community engagement.
As you gain more experience conducting community engagement, you will likely deepen your knowledge and practice of these important concepts.
COMMUNITY CAPACITY
Community capacity refers to characteristics of communities that affect their ability to identify, mobilize, and address social and public health problems [AAHE 2012].
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people connected by geographic proximity, special interests, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people [HHS 2011].
COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
A community needs assessment is a systematic process for gathering, analyzing, and reporting data and information about the characteristics, capacity, needs, and concerns of a community [CDC 2018B].
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Community resilience is the ability of a community to adapt to changing conditions and prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruption [The White House 2015].
CULTURAL AWARENESS
Cultural awareness is being cognizant, observant, and conscious of similarities and differences among cultural groups [Goode and Dunne 2004].
EMPATHY
The ability to understand and share the feelings of another [Oxford University Press 2020].
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies [HHS 2020].
EVALUATION
Evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using data to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and contribute to continuous program improvement [CDC 2019].
HEALTH EQUITY
Health equity is when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible [CDC 2021]. Health inequities are reflected in differences in length of life; quality of life; rates of disease, disability, and death; severity of disease; and access to treatment [CDC 2020].
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
Health communication is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health [The Community Guide to Preventive Services 2020].
HEALTH EDUCATION
Health education is any combination of planned learning experiences using evidence-based practices that provide the opportunity to acquire knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors [AAHE 2012].
RISK COMMUNICATION
Risk communication is the exchange of information to increase understanding of health risks [ATSDR 2009]. Risk communication provides the community with information about the specific type (good or bad) and magnitude (strong or weak) of an outcome from an exposure or behavior. Typically, risk communication is a discussion of a negative outcome and the probability that the outcomes will occur [CDC 2018A].
SECONDARY IMPACTS
Secondary impacts refer to the psychosocial impacts on individuals and communities, including mistrust of public health and other institutions. The impacts also include the stigma of living in “contaminated” areas and conflicts in local groups about how to define and respond to a problem [ATSDR 2020].