Zoekresultaten

CITIZEN SCIENCE TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN A LOW-SES NEIGHBORHOOD

Local professionals' perceptions of health assets in a low-SES Dutch neighbourhood

BACKGROUND: Asset-based approaches have become popular in public health. As yet it is not known to what extent health and welfare professionals are able to identify and mobilise individual and community health assets. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand professional's perceptions of health and health assets.METHODS: In a low-SES neighbourhood, 21 health and welfare professionals were interviewed about their definition of health and their perceptions of the residents' health status, assets available in the neighbourhood's environment, and the way residents use these assets. A Nominal Group Technique (NGT) session was conducted for member check. Verbatim transcripts of the semi-structured interviews were coded and analysed using Atlas.ti.RESULTS: The professionals used a broad health concept, emphasizing the social dimension of health as most important. They discussed the poor health of residents, mentioning multiple health problems and unmet health needs. They provided many examples of behaviour that they considered unhealthy, in particular unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Professionals considered the green physical environment, as well as health and social services, including their own services, as important health enhancing factors, whereas social and economic factors were considered as major barriers for good health. Poor housing and litter in public space were considered as barriers as well. According to the professionals, residents underutilized neighbourhood health assets. They emphasised the impact of poverty on the residents and their health. Moreover, they felt that residents were lacking individual capabilities to lead a healthy life. Although committed to the wellbeing of the residents, some professionals seemed almost discouraged by the (perceived) situation. They looked for practical solutions by developing group-based approaches and supporting residents' self-organisation.CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows, firstly, that professionals in the priority district Slotermeer rated the health of the residents as poor and their health behaviour as inadequate. They considered poverty and lack of education as important causes of this situation. Secondly, the professionals tended to talk about barriers in the neighbourhood rather than about neighbourhood health assets. As such, it seems challenging to implement asset-based approaches. However, the professionals, based on their own experiences, did perceive the development of collective approaches as a promising direction for future community health development.

P02-04 Citizen science during Covid-19 pandemic to enhance an activating environment in a low-SES neighborhood

One neighborhood in Groningen, the Netherlands, is a neighborhood housing about 12,000 citizens with on average a low-SES background, showing a less healthy and active lifestyle. In the past, initiatives have been undertaken to promote active lifestyle by implementing outdoor facilities stimulating physical activity. However, use of facilities was poor due to lack of citizen involvement. Aim of this project was to engage citizens in the overall process of capturing, plan making and prototyping of concepts for an exercise-friendly physical and social environment.From January 2020 - May 2022 a Living Lab was run following the ‘Our Voice’ citizen science method. Participatory citizen science was applied in which a community of stakeholders (public/private parties) and citizens was built. The community addressed the problem by creating more insight in promoting/degrading features in the neighborhood concerning an active lifestyle. Citizens (n = 40) used the Stanford Neighborhood Discovery Tool, which allowed for systematic observations of the physical environment. Additionally, emergent research walks gave extra information on neighborhood barriers/facilitators next to Discovery Tool data. Collected data allowed citizens to brainstorm on possible solutions in sessions facilitated by the researchers. Solutions were presented to local government and further developed for implementation and realization.Use of the Discovery Tool created an overview of the neighborhood. Based on positive/negative features, new ideas were generated for improving exercise-friendliness. One example was a walking route along art objects in the neighborhood. Furthermore, a citizens work group was formed which discussed this route, and other ideas and prototypes, with local government. This group was also involved in realization of prototypes.Our project resulted in a citizen science approach which can be transferred to other neighborhoods. Use of Discovery Tool showed many benefits for neighborhood plan making. Early and continuous involvement of citizens will lead to more sustainable engagement and is a powerful method to create engagement around societal problems and social innovation in the field of Health Enhancing Physical Activity.A transferable method for neighborhood development based on citizen science was developed. Key feature in our method was integration of design thinking, citizen engagement, and use of digital tools.

Differences in oral health behaviour between children from high and children from low SES schools in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of dental caries in relation to socio-economic status (SES) within oral health, children's eating habits and parental attitudes towards oral health.BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Dental screening data were collected from 6- and 10-year-old schoolchildren from low and high SES schools in The Netherlands in this cross-sectional study.METHODS: The clinical examination was performed by trained dental hygiene students who collected the data on dental caries, dental plaque and duration of brushing. The paper questionnaire completed by the parents included 18 questions about oral health behaviour, eating habits and parental attitudes towards oral health.RESULTS: Two of the six parameters of oral health behaviour were statistically associated with the high caries prevalence in the low SES group (brushing frequency (p = 0.028) and age at the first visit to the dentist (p = 0.044)). High intake of fruit juices and/or soft drinks (p = 0.043) and low calcium intake (p = 0.028) were identified as risk determinants for caries with low SES. All parameters of parental attitudes towards oral health were associated with caries, but not with SES.CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that the high caries prevalence in children from low SES schools was associated with oral health behaviour and eating habits. The role of parents was indirectly associated with the occurrence of dental caries. Therefore, it is important to include parents in all intervention programmes in order to reduce the prevalence of caries.

A cross-national exploration of shadow education use by high and low SES families.

Worldwide, an increasing number of students seek private supplementary tutoring, known as ‘shadow education.’ Various studies report social class differences in the use of shadow education. High-SES families may invest in shadow education as a form of concerted cultivation, seeking to improve their children’s school achievement. In this study, we apply meta-analytic structural equation modeling to explore relationships between parental education, income, and the use of shadow education across nations and educational contexts. We find robust relationships between parental education, income and the use of shadow education. Moreover, we assess a mediating role of shadow education in the relationship between SES and achievement. Shadow education appears to fulfill a competitive function for privileged families who seek to secure advantage in educational competition. We conclude that educational research, particularly research concerned with inequality of opportunities, needs to take account of the progressively prominent position of shadow education in the educational landscape.

Leefstijladvies voor mensen met een lage SES

Vaker sporten. Minder alcohol drinken. Stoppen met roken. Nu echt op tijd naar bed. Dat leefstijlverandering lastig kan zijn, weten we allemaal. Maar voor sommigen lijkt het welhaast onmogelijk. Leefstijlverandering kost energie en aandacht. Wat als je daar helemaal geen ruimte voor hebt, omdat je wordt afgeleid door belangrijkere zaken, zoals de zorg voor een ziek familielid of doordat je de huur weer niet kunt betalen? Waar moet je het in zo’n situatie vandaan halen om gezonder te gaan leven? Vooral onder mensen met een lage sociaaleconomische status (SES) komt zo’n situatie regelmatig voor. Welke bijdrage zou de eerstelijnsgeneeskunde hieraan kunnen leveren? De oplossing is gecompliceerd en de weg ernaartoe is vaak frustrerend, vooral omdat gezondheidscommunicatie alleen kan werken als het in nevenschikking met andere instrumenten wordt gecombineerd. Het antirookbeleid is een mooi voorbeeld waar veel is bereikt door een combinatie van instrumenten.