Youth photovoice: A community based approach to engage youth in informing public health programming and policy

The purpose of this presentation is to describe and analyze a youth Photovoice project that engaged 24 youth from demographically diverse neighborhoods within Detroit, Michigan, in analysis and action planning concerning the physical and social environmental conditions that influence cardiovascular health in their communities. The youth Photovoice project was one component of a multifaceted community assessment process of the Healthy Environments Partnership, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project that contributed to the development of plans for a multilevel intervention to address disparities in cardiovascular health. The youth used photography to document environmental conditions in their neighborhoods and a structured process to discuss the underlying causes of those conditions and potential strategies for change. We will describe the process of working with the youth and the issues they identified and prioritized over a nine month period, as well as their participation in the design of a plan for community change. The youth identified conditions in the physical environment as a priority factor affecting cardiovascular health in their neighborhoods. They met with representatives from several local organizations working to improve aspects of the physical environment in Detroit (e.g., illegal dumping, community gardening, air pollution, truck traffic), and organized a meeting with local policy makers regarding their concerns about and suggested strategies for addressing this priority area. We will present selected results from the evaluation of this project, and discuss lessons learned and implications for engaging youth in a broader CBPR approach to community assessment and planning to promote cardiovascular health.