Our world through our eyes: adolescents use photovoice to speak their mind on adolescent health, well-being, and sexuality in Lima, Peru

Adolescents' Perceptions of Sexuality: A Qualitative Study

Adolescents have a greater risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is a serious public health problem. Education is an effective strategy to improve adolescent sexual health outcomes. However, Spanish adolescents have a lack of sex education. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and opinions of a sample of adolescents regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Photovoice is a research method that uses the search for images of everyday events with the intention of bringing about social change. An exploratory, descriptive design was used with a qualitative approach based on the Photovoice methodology. The sample consisted of 26 high school and baccalaureate students of Almería (Spain) selected through a convenience sample. The age of the participants ranged from 14 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.31 years. Two main categories were extracted from the data analysis: 'Towards a culture of preventing STIs and promoting healthy sexual practices' and 'Adolescents' needs from their perspective'. In conclusion, numerous changes take place at the biopsychosocial level during adolescence that imply a need to explore their sexuality in depth. A lack of knowledge and a carefree attitude during sexual initiation can increase the risk of developing STIs. The study's adolescents stated that they do not have adequate sex education to acquire sufficient knowledge about sexuality and sexual health, and therefore, request that the traditional format be modified in order to achieve better results.

Using photovoice to understand and amplify youth voices to prevent sexual and relationship violence

AIMS

Efforts to improve prevention of sexual and relationship violence (SRV) among adolescents call for more centering of youth voices, experiences, and skills to design prevention programs that incorporate youth engagement rather than those that are designed by adults for youth. Amplifying the voices of historically marginalized youth are especially needed. Photovoice (PV) is a participatory action method that can empower youth and generate prevention knowledge.

METHODS

The current project used PV to engage youth in late middle and early high school to discuss how they could work to prevent SRV in their community. A convenience sample of nine youth (predominately Native American) participated over seven sessions.

RESULTS

A key theme they generated is that SRV prevention needs to be viewed as relational. Participants described the complexity of prevention, including how youth need social support to thrive and prevent SRV and that asking for help can be challenging. Results also highlighted that youth can provide help and support, but it is not always welcome in addition to underscoring that youth are resilient and can be prevention leaders.

CONCLUSION

Innovations in SRV prevention, especially for older adolescents, should work to engage youth as prevention partners. Participatory research methods like photovoice can be an important part of that process.

What about Using Photovoice for Health and Safety?

The positive reception of Wang and Burris' photovoice method, published in 1997, has led to a proliferation of ways in which professionals deploy photovoice in a widening range of application fields, e.g., public health, social development and phenomenological research of human experiences. A scoping review method is used to obtain an overview of current photovoice designs and of application examples in the health and safety domain. The results show a variety of method designs. Our findings indicate that all of the photovoice designs are composed from different combinations of eleven process steps. Five generic objectives cover the range of application examples found in our literature study. We therefore condensed the variety into five generic photovoice designs for: (a) communication, (b) education, (c) exploration, (d) awareness, and (e) empowerment purposes. We propose this for use in a classification system. The potential for application of these photovoice designs in safety management is illustrated by the existence of various safety related application examples. We argue that the five generic designs will facilitate the implementation and usage of photovoice as a tool. We recommend that both a theoretical framework and guidance are further developed. We conclude that photovoice holds potential for application in health and safety management.

'No, you should not beat our child because he will become aggressive:' Applying a multi-method approach to explore intergenerational transmission of parenting practices

BACKGROUND

Exploring the cultural context of intergenerational continuity of warm and harsh parenting informs parents motivations to adopt specific parenting behaviours.

OBJECTIVE

Parents' perceptions of being parented in the past and their current parenting as well as adolescents' perceptions of current parenting were explored applying a multi-method approach.

METHODS

Following written informed consent, a total of 24 interviews with 10 families (dyads of 14 parents and ten adolescents) from Udupi taluk in southern India was conducted. In the first stage, in-depth interviews were conducted with parent participants (Generation 1 (G1)) and in the second stage, adolescents (Generation 2 (G2)) participated in the photovoice component. Multiple forms of data including photographs, journals and interviews facilitated using the SHOWeD model were collected and were analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti(v.8).

RESULTS

Subtle changes in reinforcing culture-specific gender norms between generations were elicited. Differences in communication, granting autonomy to female adolescents, and in disciplining methods between G1 and G2 were observed. Warm parenting was transmitted between generations while harsh parenting in G1 in the presence of external social support was discarded in favor of warm parenting in G2.

CONCLUSION

We provide evidence for perceptions of parenting and adolescent behaviors across two generations. Transmission of warm parenting and interruption in the cycle of harsh parenting in the presence of external social support were significant findings. Related theoretical and methodological applications are discussed.

'All We Have to Decide Is What to Do with the Time That Is Given to Us' a Photovoice Study on Physical Activity in Nursing Homes

(1) Background: Despite high prevalence of physical inactivity and sedentariness among nursing home residents, research on the influence of environments on this topic remains scarce. This Photovoice study explores how structural and social environments relate to residents’ everyday physical activity (PA). (2) Methods: 27 residents, staff, and significant others conducted Photovoice in eight nursing homes in Germany to document factors facilitating or hindering PA. Photographs were discussed with the participants in eight focus groups and analysed using thematic analysis. (3) Results: 169 photographs (between 8 and 42per home) were categorized into three thematic groups: (1) ‘architectural challenges for PA promotion in nursing homes’; (2) ‘opportunities and limitations of using daily work equipment for PA promotion’; (3) ‘social incentives for PA promotion’. Photographs’ foci in the homes differed considerably between participant groups. Staff primarily chose environmental constructions and aids that they perceived to enable residents’ PA. Residents were more likely to express affections and emotions that would encourage them to be active. (4) Conclusions: PA promotion research in this setting should be sensitive to diverse perceptions of different stakeholder groups and existing power imbalances. Interventions are needed that integrate residents’ needs and train staff on how to consider residents’ perspectives.

Perception and Practice of HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Among Secondary School Adolescents in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria

A large proportion of Nigerian adolescents are sexually active and the country has one of the highest HIV prevalence among youths globally. This study was done to assess the perception and practice of HIV/AIDS counseling and testing (HCT) among secondary school adolescents in a rural community in Southwest Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out using multistage sampling method. The results showed that despite high level of HCT awareness, majority of the adolescents (62.9%) had negative attitude toward it. The practice of HCT was poor among majority of the respondents as less than 15% of the adolescents had ever done HCT. This study recommends that adolescents should be better informed on the locations of the health centers within the community and services rendered by them. Peer education on HCT should also be intensified in schools to promote positive healthy sexual lifestyles among adolescents.

Asthma Disparity Photovoice: The Discourses of Black Adolescent and Public Health Policymakers

BACKGROUND

Policies in U.S. public schools that address asthma management for Black adolescents may not sufficiently transform sociocultural determinants of disparities. A critical analysis of public health policy maker and adolescent discourses on asthma management using an ecological framework could inform policy development. This study describes the discourses of asthma management disparities of school and other public health policymakers and Black adolescents with asthma during a statewide asthma planning activity.

METHOD

I conducted a qualitative critical discourse analysis on transcripts and phototexts from a photovoice project with Black adolescents with asthma (n = 19), an asthma-planning meeting with school and public health policymakers (n = 12), and an observation of a photovoice dissemination event that included the same adolescents and policymakers.

RESULTS

Policymakers did not discuss sociocultural discourses concerning asthma management disparities such as racism and discrimination, but the adolescents did. The only shared discourses between adolescents and policymakers were on the management of indoor environments, health care quality, inadequate housing, and outdoor air pollution.

CONCLUSIONS

Including Black adolescents in policymaking activities concerning asthma management disparities furthers the identification of differing and shared discourses. School policies should include multilevel strategies that address structural inequities. Photovoice presents an opportunity for including the voice of marginalized youth in policy-planning processes.

Using photovoice in adolescent health research: a case-study of the Well-being of Adolescents in Vulnerable Environments (WAVE) Study in Ibadan, Nigeria

Photovoice is a participatory action research method in which people are given cameras and asked to take pictures of specific issues within their community. It is often used among marginalised populations. This method helps people capture specific issues within their community using photographs, critically discuss these issues within a group and present their findings to inform policies within their community. Photovoice has been used in developed countries and among adult participants; however, the extent to which it has been used in developing countries and among adolescent participants is yet to be extensively reported. In this paper, we describe the use of photovoice among male and female adolescents aged 15-19 years who participated in the qualitative phase (phase I) of the Well-being of Adolescents in Vulnerable Environments (WAVE) study in Ibadan, Nigeria. The main study was conducted among adolescents residing in disadvantaged communities within five global cities (Baltimore, USA; Ibadan, Nigeria; Johannesburg, South Africa; New Delhi, India and Shanghai, China). Our findings revealed that adolescents in Ibadan were very eager to participate, remained fully engaged throughout the process and the data obtained were rich and detailed. Some challenges encountered with using this method were that younger adolescents had a tendency to attain saturation when taking pictures much earlier than older adolescents; however, they equally discussed the pictures taken enthusiastically. Overall, our findings affirm that photovoice as a data collection method can be successfully used in research among adolescents in developing countries like Nigeria.