Centre for Health Promotion Studies

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOCULTURAL ENVIRONMENT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:

A PhotoVoice Documentation

Presenting Author: Ana Paula Belon, PhDCo-Authors: Laura Nieuwendyk, MSc; Helen Vallianatos, PhD; Candace Nykiforuk, PhD

May 26-29th, 2014Public Health 2014

Objective

The aim of this PhotoVoice study was to identify perceptions of the role of sociocultural environment in enabling and hindering physical activity participation among residents of four communities in Alberta, Canada.

Community Health & the Built Environment

• The purpose of the CBHE project was to understand how community environment influence physical activity and healthy eating choices.

• 4 communities• Medicine Hat and the Town of Redcliff• North Central Edmonton• Town of St. Paul• Town of Bonnyville

• www.chbeprojects.com

• 35 participants (74.3% females; 71.4% aged 25-64 years)

• Data collection: Spring of 2009

• Photographs and narratives were shared in one-on-one semi-structured interviews.

• Inductive approach

• Line-by-line coding of the interview transcripts was done independently by two researchers using NVivo 10 software.

PhotoVoice

Nykiforuk CIJ, Vallianatos H, Nieuwendyk LM. Photovoice as a Method for Revealing Community Perceptions of the Built and Social Environment. Inter Inst Qual Methodology 2011; 10(2):103-23

Physical

Political

Economic

Sociocultural

ENVIRONMENT

What is available? What are the costs?

What are the attitudes and beliefs?

What are the rules?

Swinburn B, Egger G, Raza F. Dissecting obesogenic environments: the development and application of a framework for identifying and prioritizing environmental interventions for obesity. Prev Med 1999;29(6):563-70.

ANGELO Framework

• The sociocultural environment encompasses a community’s social and cultural context.

• This context shapes beliefs, values, and practices, which influence individual efforts to participate in physical activity.

Sociocultural Environment

Swinburn B, Egger G, Raza F. Dissecting obesogenic environments: the development and application of a framework for identifying and prioritizing environmental interventions for obesity. Prev Med 1999;29(6):563-70.

Overview of Selected Findings

Loitering, Vandalism, and Gangs

Trash and Debris

Graffiti

Unattended or Stray Dogs

Feeling Safe in General

Loitering, Vandalism, and Gangs

Crime and Drugs

Prostitution

Satisfaction with the Community

Interactions with Community Members

Social Events

Socio-Political Engagement

Peer Support

Walking the Dog

Domestic Chores

Participants’ Hobbies

What People Do for Recreation in the

CommunitySociocultural Environment

Aesthetics

Safety

Car Culture

Social Involvement

Motivation for Physical Activity

Cultural Ideas of Recreation

Figure 1. Themes and subthemes for sociocultural environment.

"A picture of some coffee cup litter […] I got right down to take this picture because litter is a psychological barrier to me, to my enjoyment of the outdoors and being more physically active." (-)

(Male, Adult)

AestheticsTrash and Debris

"Okay, this one is my lawnmower, that keeps me, that is a form of exercise for me in my yard [...] So, I mean that is good exercise, it’s good cardio [...]. This is actually a free physical activity." (+)

(Female, Adult)

Motivation for Physical Activity Domestic Chores

Conclusion

• Through the participants’ lenses, this study revealed a set of aspects of the sociocultural environment influencing people’s abilities to be physically active.

• Strategies to decrease sedentary behaviours should:• build on diverse ideas of recreation and physical activity• promote the beautification and maintenance of communities• increase feelings of safety• challenge car culture• enhance social cohesion and support among community

members

For more information about this research:Ana Paula Belon, PhDEmail address: ana.belon@ualberta.ca

For more information about PLACE Research Lab or conversation:Website: placeresearchlab.com

Project Coordinator: Laura Nieuwendyk, MScEmail address: laura.nieuwendyk@ualberta.ca Tel: (780) 492-3902

Funders

KILLAM RESEARCH FUND (University of Alberta)

Extra slides

1st individual semi-structured interview

(1h)

Taking the photographs

(2 weeks)

2nd individual semi-structured

interview(1.5h)

Summarizing participants photographs

(top five)

Display of the photographs in the community

5 PHASES

Nykiforuk CIJ, Vallianatos H, Nieuwendyk LM. Photovoice as a Method for Revealing Community Perceptions of the Built and Social Environment. Inter Inst Qual Methodology 2011; 10(2):103-23

Physical activity

54%

32%

8%6%

PhysicalSocioculturalEconomicPolitical

N = 952

Figure 1. Type of environment discussed in the follow-up interviews. (sources)

"Oh, this one I took because there was a girl standing outside the library, which is like a naked, I think maybe that is why people don’t walk in our neighborhood, because you know " (-)

(Female, Senior)

Safety Prostitution

Recommendations for Research• Exploring how individuals perceive their community

environments can be used to complement objective (audits) and perceived (questionnaires in surveys) environmental measures.

• ANGELO framework helps organize the emergent qualitative themes from the photovoice project.

• Focus on particular groups: Elderly (Mahmood et al., 2012) and Children (Hennessy et al., 2010).

Nykiforuk CIJ, Vallianatos H, Nieuwendyk LM. Photovoice as a Method for Revealing Community Perceptions of the Built and Social Environment. Inter Inst Qual Methodology 2011; 10(2):103-23