Photovoice tresna elikadura-ingurunearen azterketa kualitatiborako

Abstract

The characteristics of the environment can influence the healthy behavior of citizens. There seems to be a re-lationship between the place where we live and our eating habits. Therefore, it is necessary to know the environment from the perception of the neighbors to assess the factors which influence the diet of the population. There have been few studies that have analyzed urban environments from the point of view of the citizens. Thus, the objective of this study was to carry out a community diagnosis of the food environment of a neighborhood in Bilbao, using the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology Photovoice. Participants for this project were recruited through Neighborhood Associations. The Pho-tovoice group was heterogeneous, consisting of men and women who met inclusion criteria. From April to July 2017, the 6 selected neighbors participated in 5 two-hour group sessions where critical discussions were held on the photographs taken by them. A total of 30 photographs were taken which reflected the neighborhood food environment. Through a consen-sus-building process, participants identified 9 categories and selected 13 related representative photographs. Finally, the characteristics of their food environment were grouped into 6 conceptual themes: 1) Bad habits, 2) Cultural diversity, 3) So-cial relationships, 4) Sustainability, 5) Retail transformation, 6) Healthy habits. To sum up, citizens’ proposals to improve their environment were established and exposed to Bilbao’s policy makers. This Photovoice project made it possible to ana-lyze citizens’ perception of their food environment. The conclusions obtained from neighbors can help guide local policy and interventions with the aim of promoting healthier food environments.