Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science

Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport Research Centre (HPALS), Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7725, South Africa

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School of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 92006, New Zealand

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School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia

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School of Health & Well Being, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia

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Department of Industrial Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia

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Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden

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School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK

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Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

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Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

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Gardner Packard Children’s Health Center, Atherton, CA 94027, USA

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School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Bloomsbury, London WC1H 0XG, UK

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Research Institute, Health and Wellness Center, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, Fort Smith, AR 72901, USA

¹⁶

Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia

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^†

The Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network are listed in Acknowledgment.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 892; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030892

Received: 17 December 2020 / Revised: 7 January 2021 / Accepted: 11 January 2021 / Published: 21 January 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Based Approaches for Reducing Health Inequities)

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Abstract

Growing socioeconomic and structural disparities within and between nations have created unprecedented health inequities that have been felt most keenly among the world’s youth. While policy approaches can help to mitigate such inequities, they are often challenging to enact in under-resourced and marginalized communities. Community-engaged participatory action research provides an alternative or complementary means for addressing the physical and social environmental contexts that can impact health inequities. The purpose of this article is to describe the application of a particular form of technology-enabled participatory action research, called the Our Voice citizen science research model, with youth. An overview of 20 Our Voice studies occurring across five continents indicates that youth and young adults from varied backgrounds and with interests in diverse issues affecting their communities can participate successfully in multiple contributory research processes, including those representing the full scientific endeavor. These activities can, in turn, lead to changes in physical and social environments of relevance to health, wellbeing, and, at times, climate stabilization. The article ends with future directions for the advancement of this type of community-engaged citizen science among young people across the socioeconomic spectrum. View Full-Text

Keywords: health inequities; community-based; citizen science; participatory research; youth; health promotion; health equity; digital health; built environment; environmental justice

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MDPI and ACS Style

King, A.C.; Odunitan-Wayas, F.A.; Chaudhury, M.; Rubio, M.A.; Baiocchi, M.; Kolbe-Alexander, T.; Montes, F.; Banchoff, A.; Sarmiento, O.L.; Bälter, K.; Hinckson, E.; Chastin, S.; Lambert, E.V.; González, S.A.; Guerra, A.M.; Gelius, P.; Zha, C.; Sarabu, C.; Kakar, P.A.; Fernes, P.; Rosas, L.G.; Winter, S.J.; McClain, E.; Gardiner, P.A.; on behalf of the Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network. Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030892

AMA Style

King AC, Odunitan-Wayas FA, Chaudhury M, Rubio MA, Baiocchi M, Kolbe-Alexander T, Montes F, Banchoff A, Sarmiento OL, Bälter K, Hinckson E, Chastin S, Lambert EV, González SA, Guerra AM, Gelius P, Zha C, Sarabu C, Kakar PA, Fernes P, Rosas LG, Winter SJ, McClain E, Gardiner PA, on behalf of the Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network. Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(3):892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030892

Chicago/Turabian Style

King, Abby C., Feyisayo A. Odunitan-Wayas, Moushumi Chaudhury, Maria A. Rubio, Michael Baiocchi, Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, Felipe Montes, Ann Banchoff, Olga L. Sarmiento, Katarina Bälter, Erica Hinckson, Sebastien Chastin, Estelle V. Lambert, Silvia A. González, Ana M. Guerra, Peter Gelius, Caroline Zha, Chethan Sarabu, Pooja A. Kakar, Praveena Fernes, Lisa G. Rosas, Sandra J. Winter, Elizabeth McClain, Paul A. Gardiner, and on behalf of the Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network. 2021. "Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 3: 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030892

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Author Biographies

Abby C. King

Dr. King is an internationally-respected scholar and professor at the Stanford University Medical School. Recipient of the Outstanding Scientific Contributions in Health Psychology Award from the American Psychological Association, her research focuses on development, evaluation, and translation of public health interventions to reduce chronic disease and its key behavioral risk factors. She uses state-of-the-art communication technologies and community-based citizen science approaches to address health disparities among disadvantaged populations worldwide. Dr. King’s research has been honored with awards from the Center for Active Design, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Stanford University.

Katarina Bälter

I am a professor of public health sciences at Mälardalen University and an affiliated associate professor of Epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet. My research focus on sustainable lifestyles and health. This includes a lifestyle that promotes overall good health and quality of life but also contributes to sustainable development. Sustainable development means that we can meet our needs in terms of living conditions and resource utilization, without jeopardizing future generations' ability to meet their needs.

Erica Hinckson

Professor Hinckson is the Head of School of Sport and Recreation at the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology. She leads the NZ chapter of "Our Voice" Citizen Science for Health Equity Global Research Network (based at Stanford University), co-directs the Centre for Child and Youth Research and is a senior researcher at the Human Potential Centre. Her program of research focuses on the science of behaviour, in particular, the patterns, causes and effects of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on health in youth and adults, within the context of the built environment. She is on the steering committee for the International Physical Activity and Environment Network (IPEN), and the Chair of the Publication's Committee, president-elect for the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, an inaugural member of Citizen Science Global Research Network and Citizen Science Leadership Task Force, and former Chair for the Council of Environment and Physical Activity (ISPAH Council).

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Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science

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