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

Abby C. King, Feyisayo A. Odunitan-Wayas, Moushumi Chaudhury, Maria Alejandra Rubio, Michael Baiocchi, Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, Felipe Montes, Ann Banchoff, Olga Lucia Sarmiento, Katarina Bälter, Erica Hinckson, Sebastien Chastin, Estelle V. Lambert, Silvia A. González, Ana María 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
Additional contact information
Abby C. King: Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Feyisayo A. Odunitan-Wayas: 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
Moushumi Chaudhury: School of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 92006, New Zealand
Maria Alejandra Rubio: School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
Michael Baiocchi: Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Tracy Kolbe-Alexander: School of Health & Well Being, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
Felipe Montes: Department of Industrial Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
Ann Banchoff: Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Olga Lucia Sarmiento: School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
Katarina Bälter: School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Department of Public Health Sciences, Mälardalen University, Box 883, 721 23 Västerås, Sweden
Erica Hinckson: School of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 92006, New Zealand
Sebastien Chastin: School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK
Estelle V. Lambert: 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
Silvia A. González: School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
Ana María Guerra: Department of Industrial Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
Peter Gelius: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Caroline Zha: Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Chethan Sarabu: Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Pooja A. Kakar: Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Praveena Fernes: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Bloomsbury, London WC1H 0XG, UK
Lisa G. Rosas: Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Sandra J. Winter: Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Elizabeth McClain: Research Institute, Health and Wellness Center, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, Fort Smith, AR 72901, USA
Paul A. Gardiner: Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
on behalf of the Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network: The Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network are listed in Acknowledgment.

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-29

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.

Keywords: health inequities; community-based; citizen science; participatory research; youth; health promotion; health equity; digital health; built environment; environmental justice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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