ORIGINAL ARTICLE A translational science approach to community-based participatory research using methodological triangulation Jennifer R. Warren 1 & Brandi M. White 2 Received: 20 January 2020 /Accepted: 7 May 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract Aim To advance the science of translational research and triangulation through a case study of community-based participatory research (CBPR) study on children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Subjects and Methods A total of 130 African American parents and children were recruited to participate in 13 parent advisory board key informant interviews (n = 6), parent tobacco use and behavior survey (n = 63), children’s (aged 6 months to 5 years) salivary assays (n = 43), and three member check focus groups (n = 18). Results Data were collected and analyzed separately, and overall findings were evaluated for consistency, inconsistency, diver- gent data, and data saturation using a data matrix table aligned with the social ecological model. Out of 43 children, 39.5% had levels of cotinine, suggesting high ETS exposure. The findings demonstrated that extremely low knowledge on how to protect children from exposure as well as low education and poverty increase the likelihood that parents do not believe in the harms of ETS. Custodial parents cannot control noncustodial parents smoking around children and 28% of children live in homes with no or partial smoking restrictions. Children’s healthcare providers are inconsistently inquiring about ETS exposure. Children living in attached homes had a greater likelihood of being exposed to ETS by another adult outside the home. Conclusion CBPR is an effective strategy for translating science into promising community-informed interventions that meet the cultural and social needs of medically underserved populations. Integrated diverse data sets were utilized in the formation of a parental intervention targeting factors identified in the matrix. Keywords Environmental tobacco smoke . Triangulation . Translational research . Community-based participatory research . Childcare centers Introduction Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during childhood is associated with several adverse health effects, such as asthma, bronchitis, inner ear infections, increased blood pressure, and premature coronary artery disease (Behbod et al. 2018; Hwang et al. 2012; Makadia et al. 2017; Warren et al. 2014). Because of higher levels of ETS exposure, low-income African American children carry a dis- proportionate burden of adverse health outcomes, such as asthma, compared to other racial/ethnic groups (Berman et al. 2003; Hughes et al. 2017). Elevated levels of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine and a biomarker for ETS exposure, in African American children aged 3–11 years are more than two times higher than European Americans and Mexican American children (50.3%, 21.4%, and 20.0%, respectively) (Tsai et al. 2018). Serum cotinine levels are also higher for children living in poverty compared to those living at or above Jennifer R. Warren was the principal investigator on this project, organized/managed every aspect of the study, and co-wrote this entire article. Brandi M. White was a graduate research assistant at the time of this study and substantially helped to organize/manage every aspect, and, now, as a professor, co-wrote this entire article. * Jennifer R. Warren jwarren@caahder.org Brandi M. White brandi.white50@uky.edu 1 Center for African American Health Disparities Education & Research Center, Inc. (501(c)3), Atlantic City, NJ 08401, USA 2 University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01311-1 / Published online: 29 May 2020 Journal of Public Health: From Theory to Practice (2022) 30:447–458