Too Important to Ignore: Leveraging Digital Technology to Improve Chronic Illness Management Among Black Men

Health disparities associated with chronic illness experiences of black men demonstrate widespread, systematic failures to meet an urgent need. Well-established social and behavioral determinants that have led to health disparities among black men include racism, discrimination, and stress. While advocacy work that includes community-engagement and tailoring health promotion strategies have shown local impact, evidence shows the gaps are increasing. We suspect that failure to reduce current disparities may be due to conventional public health interventions and programs; therefore, we submit that innovative interventions, ones that embrace digital technologies and their ability to harness naturally occurring social networks within groups, like black men, have particular importance and deserve attention. This commentary characterizes the current literature on chronic illness among black men as well as health interventions that use digital technology, to build a case for expanding research in this area to reduce the overwhelming burden of chronic illness among black men

Tools you can trust? Co-design in community heritage work

This chapter will examine the role of co-design methods in relation to the recent Pararchive Project (http://pararchive.com) that took place between 2013 and 2015 at the University of Leeds. It will draw on the experiences of conducting the project and broader critical frames to examine the nature of collaborative working in the field of cultural heritage and storytelling. It will outline the lessons we have learned from the process and the ways in which the relationships between citizens and cultural institutions are central to working in the heritage sector. It seeks to advocate for the necessity of collaborative methods in the creation of cultural heritage tools that are trusted and adopted by communities

Using participatory approaches with children and young people to research volitional reading

Children and young people’s volitional book reading has declined consistently over the last two decades, and research efforts to reverse this trajectory would benefit considerably from the input and insights of children and young people. Meanwhile, the expanding and intensifying role of technology in many children and young people’s daily lives makes it difficult for adult reading researchers to stay informed and up-to-date on how technology is shaping and diversifying volitional reading practices and experiences. Participatory research approaches aim to break down the traditional barriers which exist between the researcher and the researched, creating inclusive, non-hierarchical relationships which support collaborative research, and draw upon the knowledge and experience of all involved. While there is growing interest in, and use of, participatory approaches in reading research, this is the first review, to the best of our knowledge, which focuses on participatory research approaches within the context of children and young people’s reading. The aim of this review article is to a) summarise the principles, benefits, and methodological considerations associated with participatory approaches with children and young people, and b) describe different participatory reading research studies with children or young people, and reflect on how these can inform future research into volitional reading. This article aims to inform, support, and encourage the reading research community to consider adopting participatory principles and practices in their work (where appropriate), as we work collectively to enhance knowledge, thinking, and practice in relation to children and young people’s volitional reading.</p

Designing intervention prototypes to improve infant and young child nutrition in Peru: A participatory design study protocol

Introduction: Nutrition during the complementary feeding period (6–23 months) is critical to ensure optimal growth and reduce the risk of diet-related disease across the life course. Strategies to reduce multiple forms of malnutrition (stunting, overweight/obesity and anaemia) in infants and young children (IYC) are a key priority in low-income and middle-income countries, including Peru. This study aims to co-design and develop prototypes for interventions to address the multiple forms of malnutrition in IYC in urban Peru, using a participatory design approach. Methods and analysis: The study will be based within peri-urban communities in two areas of Peru (Lima and Huánuco city). Following the identification of key nutritional challenges for IYC aged 6–23 months through formative research (phase I), we will conduct a series of workshops bringing together healthcare professionals from government health centres and caregivers of IYC aged 6–23 months. Workshops (on idea generation; creating future scenarios; storyboarding and early implementation and feedback) will take place in parallel in the two study areas. Through these workshops, we will engage with community participants to explore, experiment, co-design and iteratively validate new design ideas to address the challenges around IYC complementary feeding from phase I. Workshop outputs and transcripts will be analysed qualitatively using affinity diagramming and thematic analyses. The intervention prototypes will be evaluated qualitatively and piloted with the participating communities. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the Instituto de Investigación Nutricional (IIN) Peru (388-2019/CIEI-IIN), Loughborough University (C19-87) and confirmed by Cardiff University. Findings of the participatory design process will be disseminated through a deliberative workshop in Lima, Peru with national and regional government stakeholders, as well as participants and researchers involved in the design process. Further dissemination will take place through policy briefs, conferences and academic publications

Perceptions of Community-Based Participatory Research from Community and Academic Members

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an increasingly popular form of public health research. However, little is known about the application of CBPR and the levels of involvement for partners in specific phases of the partnership. This phenomenological study addressed the application of CBPR from the perspectives of 7 academic researchers and 6 community members experienced in CBPR. Arnstein\u27s ladder of citizenship participation and the community coalition action theory provided the framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews addressed participants\u27 levels of involvement in the CBPR process, as well as challenges, concerns, successes, and recommendations for improvement. Interview transcripts were analyzed by identifying recurrent themes relevant to the experience of being a CBPR partner. These themes were then used to develop descriptions of their experience. Results indicated that participants knew the term CBPR and had experienced it, but not all participants understood the depth of CBPR and how much bargaining power they could have for their community. Sustainability of partnerships and programs was a major concern. Ethical problems were also raised regarding the long-term commitment to projects and the need for CBPR partnership evaluation. Results may be used to strengthen awareness of the principles of CBPR to advance culturally tailored public health interventions

Das Co-Creation Toolbook

Das in dieser Open-Access-Publikation vorgestellte Toolbook soll zur Ermutigung und Stärkung von Science-/Society-Projekten beitragen und den weiteren Diskurs stimulieren. Es bietet wissenschaftlich fundierte und zugleich praxisnahe Methoden und Instrumente für die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Expert*innen und Stakeholdern aus Wissenschaft und Praxis zur Bewältigung realer, kontextsensitiver und gesellschaftlicher Herausforderungen. Weiterhin dient es als Leitfaden, um Transferhemmnisse, die im Verlauf der Zusammenarbeit in transdisziplinären Projekten auftreten können, durch verschiedene Methoden und Instrumente erfolgreich zu überwinden

What Makes Trans Lives More Livable?: An Intersectional Content Analysis of #WeHappyTrans* and #TheGenderTag

Building on previous trans YouTube scholarship, this dissertation is based on a content analysis of two digital activism projects: 1) #WeHappyTrans*, a compilation of 59 YouTube video responses posted between 2012 and 2018, and 2) #TheGenderTag, a compilation of 704 YouTube video responses posted between 2016 and 2019. By analyzing the audio and visuals of a subsample (N=80) of these two archives using theoretical and emerging codes, I identified key themes as relevant to digital activism effectiveness and well-being. I discuss implications for policy, public health, healthcare, and community organizing in the conclusion. Contrasting prior medical sociology literature that is not presented from the perspective of trans people and primarily focuses on negative aspects of trans lived experience, I have employed a transfeminist methodology that centers self-definition and self-determination. My methods are heavily informed by transnormativity and intersectionality scholarship. In addition to providing an example of how transfeminist methodology can be applied in the context of digital media, this dissertation fills a crucial gap in literature focusing on qualities of trans lived experience that contribute to increased QoL. My hope is that the findings of this study will be considered collaboratively between scholars and activists in many contexts, including within the growing fields of health informatics technologies and trans public health. The findings of this study are also relevant to several ongoing discussions within the fields of sociology, public health, cultural and media studies, and queer and trans theory