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Chuquitarco-Morales A, Rivera-Navarro J, La Parra-Casado D, Fuster M, Franco M. Madrid immigrants' perceptions of urban food environments and their dietary behaviours. Appetite 2024; 199:107390. [PMID: 38703792 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Large cities are home to several groups of immigrants who undergo important changes in their environmental conditions and lifestyles that significantly modify their risk of chronic diseases. Quantitative evidence indicates that both their health and diet worsen over time; much less is known about the qualitative mechanisms that cause these changes. The aim of this article is to understand how immigrants in the city of Madrid perceive the relation between the urban food environment and dietary behaviour. Based on a Social Ecological Framework, we conducted a secondary qualitative analysis derived from data from 41 immigrant residents, collected in eight focus groups (FGs), conducted in two neighbourhoods in the city of Madrid. We identified the following main categories: 1) Transnational identity and dietary behaviour in the neighbourhood; 2) Transitions in dietary behaviour; and 3) Societal/structural factors determining dietary behaviour in the neighbourhood. The participants in the FGs mentioned that they try to maintain traditional dietary customs and perceive that the taste of their typical dishes is better than those of Spanish dishes. Contradictorily, some participants considered their traditional dietary patterns to be less healthy than Mediterranean ones (consuming olive oil, vegetables, fish). Some participants acknowledged having adapted to the latter voluntarily or through dietary negotiations with their children. Immigrant families with two working parents have difficulties cooking homemade food and resort to less healthy options, such as eating fast food or ready-made meals. Due to their low purchasing power, they buy both ethnic products and other products, as well as considering the prices and offers in supermarkets. Our study highlights several structural mechanisms connecting the physical and social urban food environment with dietary behaviours among immigrant residents of a large city.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesús Rivera-Navarro
- Sociology and Communication Department, Social Sciences Faculty, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Daniel La Parra-Casado
- Department of Sociology 2, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Melissa Fuster
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, Tulane University, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Manuel Franco
- Surgery and Medical and Social Sciences Department, Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Silva JP, Ribeiro AI. Using Qualitative Methods to Understand the Interconnections Between Cities and Health: A Methodological Review. Public Health Rev 2024; 45:1606454. [PMID: 38651134 PMCID: PMC11033357 DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2024.1606454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: Using different perspectives and methods to investigate the links between the urban phenomenon and health is critical in an urbanizing world. This review discusses qualitative methods in the context of urban health research. Methods: We conducted a narrative review following these steps: We identified the qualitative data collection, analysis and sampling methods that could be more relevant for the problems researched in the urban health field. We conducted searches for methodological articles and other documents about those methods. We included some influential materials and examples of empirical urban health studies using those methods. Results: We included 88 studies and identified several qualitative data gathering, analysis and sampling methods relevant for urban health researchers. We present those methods, focusing their strengths and limitations, and providing examples of their use in the field of urban health. These methods are flexible and allow in-depth analysis of small samples by collecting and analyzing rich and nuanced data. Conclusion: This article should contribute to a better understanding of how, and when, qualitative methods may improve our knowledge on urban health.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Pedro Silva
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Sociologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Isabel Ribeiro
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Monaghan J, Backholer K, McKelvey AL, Christidis R, Borda A, Calyx C, Crocetti A, Driessen C, Zorbas C. Citizen science approaches to crowdsourcing food environment data: A scoping review of the literature. Obes Rev 2023; 24:e13618. [PMID: 37602970 DOI: 10.1111/obr.13618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the adoption and implementation of policies to improve the healthiness of food environments and prevent population weight gain have been inadequate. This is partly because of the complexity associated with monitoring dynamic food environments. Crowdsourcing is a citizen science approach that can increase the extent and nature of food environment data collection by engaging citizens as sensors or volunteered computing experts. There has been no literature synthesis to guide the application of crowdsourcing to food environment monitoring. We systematically conducted a scoping review to address this gap. Forty-two articles met our eligibility criteria. Photovoice techniques were the most employed methodological approaches (n = 25 studies), commonly used to understand overall access to healthy food. A small number of studies made purpose-built apps to collect price or nutritional composition data and were scaled to receive large amounts of data points. Twenty-nine studies crowdsourced food environment data by engaging priority populations (e.g., households receiving low incomes). There is growing potential to develop scalable crowdsourcing platforms to understand food environments through the eyes of everyday people. Such crowdsourced data may improve public and policy engagement with equitable food policy actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Monaghan
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kathryn Backholer
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy-Louise McKelvey
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca Christidis
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ann Borda
- Melbourne Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Cobi Calyx
- Environment and Society Group, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alessandro Crocetti
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christine Driessen
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christina Zorbas
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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Rivera-Navarro J, de Loyola González-Salgado I, Ramos-Truchero G, Gravina L, Díez J, Caballero S, Franco M. Factors influencing dietary inequalities among adolescents in Madrid and Bilbao: a qualitative research project. GACETA SANITARIA 2023; 37:102325. [PMID: 37598578 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2023.102325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the design and methodology of a qualitative study to explore the main factors influencing dietary inequalities in adolescents in Madrid and Bilbao, Spain. METHOD The study area included six neighborhoods (three in each city) of different socioeconomic status (SES): low, medium, and high. We sampled 12 secondary schools (six in each city: two per socioeconomic level). Our methodology comprised: 1) developing an ad hoc index to classify all neighborhoods according to their SES; 2) selecting the study area and sample; 3) conducting semi-structured interviews (n=36) and focus groups (n=24). Grounded theory and phenomenological analysis will be employed in data analysis. Initially, we found factors influencing in adolescents' diet such as gender, family environment, and SES. CONCLUSIONS Systematizing the selection of neighborhoods and secondary schools, along with using appropriate methods, could serve as a foundation for future studies on health inequalities among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rivera-Navarro
- Sociology and Communication Department, Social Sciences Faculty, Salamanca University, Salamanca, Spain.
| | | | - Guadalupe Ramos-Truchero
- Sociology and Social Work Department, Education and Social Work Faculty, Valladolid University, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Leyre Gravina
- Nursing I Department, Nursing and Medicine Faculty, University of the Basque Country, País Vasco University, Bilbao, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Julia Díez
- Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Alcalá University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Caballero
- Nursing I Department, Nursing and Medicine Faculty, University of the Basque Country, País Vasco University, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Manuel Franco
- Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Alcalá University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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Garcia S, Ordoñez S, López-Molina VM, Lacruz-Pleguezuelos B, Carrillo de Santa Pau E, Marcos-Zambrano LJ. Citizen science helps to raise awareness about gut microbiome health in people at risk of developing non-communicable diseases. Gut Microbes 2023; 15:2241207. [PMID: 37530428 PMCID: PMC10399471 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2241207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Citizens lack knowledge about the impact of gut microbiota on health and how lifestyle and dietary choices can influence it, leading to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and affecting overall well-being. Participatory action research (PAR) is a promising approach to enhance communication and encourage individuals to adopt healthier behaviors and improve their health. In this study, we explored the feasibility of integrating the photovoice method with citizen science approaches to assess the impact of social and environmental factors on gut microbiota health. In this context, citizen science approaches entailed the involvement of participants in the collection of samples for subsequent analysis, specifically gut microbiome assessment via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We recruited 70 volunteers and organized six photovoice groups based on age and educational background. Participants selected 64 photographs that represented the influence of daily habits on gut microbiota health and created four photovoice themes. Analysis of the gut microbiome using 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified 474 taxa, and in-depth microbial analysis revealed three clusters of people based on gut microbiome diversity and body mass index (BMI). Our findings indicate that participants enhanced their knowledge of gut microbiome health through PAR activities, and we found a correlation between lower microbial diversity, higher BMI, and better achievement of learning outcomes. Using PAR as a methodology is an effective way to increase citizens' awareness and engagement in self-care, maintain healthy gut microbiota, and prevent NCD development. These interventions are particularly beneficial for individuals at higher risk of developing NCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Garcia
- Computational Biology Group, Precision Nutrition and Cancer Research Program, IMDEA Food Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sheyla Ordoñez
- Computational Biology Group, Precision Nutrition and Cancer Research Program, IMDEA Food Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victor Manuel López-Molina
- Computational Biology Group, Precision Nutrition and Cancer Research Program, IMDEA Food Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Lacruz-Pleguezuelos
- Computational Biology Group, Precision Nutrition and Cancer Research Program, IMDEA Food Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Laura Judith Marcos-Zambrano
- Computational Biology Group, Precision Nutrition and Cancer Research Program, IMDEA Food Institute, Madrid, Spain
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Properties of the Spanish Version of the Place Standard Tool. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159395. [PMID: 35954751 PMCID: PMC9367821 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: The social determinants that maintain health inequalities are organized in the physical, social, and economic contexts of neighborhoods and municipalities. Their characteristics influence the behaviors and choices of the people living in them, with an impact on their health and well-being. In recent years, several local applications and urban development tools have been designed to learn how to promote the development of health and wellness environments. Aim: The purpose was to test the properties of the Spanish adaptation of the Place Standard Tool through its implementation in a Valencian community municipality. (2) Methods: Metric properties were analyzed from a sample of 242 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the sociodemographic data and to describe item responses. Cronbach’s alpha was used to provide a measure of the internal consistency, whereas the Kaiser–Meyer Olkin test was relied upon to study the relationship between different variables. (3) Results: The questionnaire showed an internal consistency index of 0.849 and a KMO of 0.842, with a single factor variance of 81.50%. (4) Conclusions: The Spanish adaptation of the Place Standard Tool is a valid tool for assessing neighborhoods and municipalities with a focus on social determinants of health and equity.
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