Journal article
Reaching for a Healthier Lifestyle: A Photovoice Investigation of Healthy Living in People with Serious Mental Illness
Progress in community health partnerships, v 13(4), pp 371-383
01 Dec 2019
PMID: 31866592
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background: People with mental illness in the United States are almost twice as likely to be obese compared with those without a mental illness. Lifestyle factors, such as poor dietary choices and physical inactivity, are often cited as causes of obesity in this population, which limits the response to the obesity epidemic primarily to behavioral change interventions. In response, this project is grounded in a human rights framework to assure that the people most affected by the problem are included in understanding and addressing the problem. We sought to investigate social and structural factors that affect weight loss in partnership with community co-researchers enrolled in a group lifestyle program for overweight/obese people with serious mental illness (SMI) living in supportive housing settings.
Methods: Using Photovoice methodology, eight co-researchers identified barriers and facilitators to healthy living in their community over seven weekly sessions.
Results: Co-researchers selected 33 photos reflecting two overarching themes: 1) structural barriers, such as poor-quality food, high transportation costs, limited SNAP benefits, limits of food pantries, easy availability of tobacco and alcohol products, and limited places for exercise and 2) strategies for overcoming structural barriers.
Conclusions: Co-researchers highlighted structural barriers that were a cause or consequence of food insecurity and situations that threaten the right to healthy food and opportunities for a healthy life. Co-researchers reported examples of knowledge and skills they learned through participation in the project that were used to overcome structural barriers to healthy eating and physical activity, and likely contributed to weight loss.
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Details
- Title
- Reaching for a Healthier Lifestyle: A Photovoice Investigation of Healthy Living in People with Serious Mental Illness
- Creators
- Lara Carson Weinstein - Thomas Jefferson Univ, Dept Family & Community Med, Sidney Kimmel Med Coll, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USAMariana Chilton - Drexel UniversityRenee Turchi - Drexel UniversityAnn Klassen - Drexel UniversityMarianna LaNoue - Thomas Jefferson Univ, Sch Populat Hlth, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USAStephan Lamar - Pathways Housing PA, Philadelphia, PA USASandra Yorgey - Pathways Housing PA, Philadelphia, PA USALois Kramer - Pathways Housing PA, Philadelphia, PA USAIrwin Smith - Pathways Housing PA, Philadelphia, PA USALeopoldo Cabassa - Washington Univ St Louis, Brown Sch Social Work, St Louis, MO USA
- Publication Details
- Progress in community health partnerships, v 13(4), pp 371-383
- Publisher
- Johns Hopkins Univ Press
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- 1R01MH104574-01 NIMH / National Institute of Mental Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) R01MH104574 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Diabetes Education and Research Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy; Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000503203500007
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85077163310
- Other Identifier
- 991019168562704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health