The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71107

Marsha Spence Green, MS-MPH, RD¹, Sonya J. Jones, PhD², and Betsy Haughton, EdD, RD¹. (1) Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, 1215 W. Cumberland Ave., Room 229, Knoxville, TN 37996-1920, 865-974-4205, mgreen4@utk.edu, (2) Nutrition, University of Tennessee, 1215 Cumberland Ave, Room 229, Department of Nutrition, Knoxville, TN 37966-1920

The purpose of this presentation is to outline the planning and implementation of community-based participatory research (Photovoice) to encourage key community stakeholders to become advocates for positive changes in the school nutrition environment. Photovoice is an innovative investigative methodology that facilitates partnerships between researchers and study participants. Using cameras, participants document important aspects of their environment, which can promote or hinder healthy lifestyles. This methodology has been used in several studies to allow disenfranchised populations to document aspects of their environment and provides an emic perspective that may be otherwise unobtainable. This presentation will outline the steps in establishing partnership, for collecting and analyzing data, and using these aspects of the research to develop school-based behavioral and environmental interventions. Examples will be presented from a study with teachers in Monroe County, Tennessee. Photovoice is an innovative approach in community-based participatory research methods. Relatively few studies have used this technique to promote positive dietary behavior change. Use of this methodology in future nutrition behavioral research can provide an emic, or insider's, perspective that may faciliate sustainable dietary change in hard-to-reach populations.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the particpants will be able to:
• Define community-based participatory action research.
• Define Photovoice.
• List the steps involved in establishing a partnership between study participants and researchers.
• Describe methods for collecting and analyzing data from a participatory action research project.

Keywords: Nutrition, Participatory Action Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.