Browsing by Autor "Ann Banchoff"

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Fostering collective action for adolescent well-being: citizen science in a Colombian semi-rural area
(Oxford University Press, 2024) Ana María Guerra; Eduardo De la Vega‐Taboada; Olga L. Sarmiento; Ann Banchoff; Abby C. King; Dionne P. Stephens; Luis D Revollo; Ana P Revollo; Felipe Montes
We present findings from the Our Voice in Barú project, examining adolescent engagement in citizen science to address environmental and social factors affecting well-being in a semi-rural Afro-descendant community in Latin America. The project aimed to identify barriers and enablers of well-being, informing adolescent-led actions for sustainable environmental changes relevant to adolescent health. Utilizing the Our Voice citizen science method, which involved technology-enabled walks, participatory cartography workshops and community meetings, we engaged adolescents and other community members. Complex systems framework was employed to analyze results and assess the promotion of collective action and local change. Local enablers of well-being included availability of quality sports and recreational venues as safe spaces, educational settings and cultural aspects, fostering safety, community pride, and personal growth. Conversely, barriers included environmental contamination, deteriorated sports venues and drug addiction, indicating the community's limited access to services and exposure to harmful substances. Adolescent citizen scientists, in partnership with the research team and relevant community decision-makers, successfully achieved changes aimed at identified barriers, including infrastructural enhancements like the repair of pumps to remove stagnant water, improvements in the quality and safety of recreational venues, and the implementation of community-led initiatives to address substance abuse and promote healthier behaviors. The Our Voice in Barú project empowered adolescents to advocate for change and promoted collective action to tackle barriers identified as significant to their well-being.
Our Voice in a Rural Community: Empowering Colombian Rural Adolescents to Advocate for Community Well-being through Citizen Science
(Research Square (United States), 2022) Felipe Montes; Ana María Guerra; Diana Higuera-Mendieta; Eduardo De la Vega‐Taboada; Abby C. King; Ann Banchoff; Augusto César Rodríguez Maturana; Olga L. Sarmiento
Abstract Backround: Santa Ana is home to an Afro-descendant rural population of the island of Barú in Cartagena, Colombia. While a popular area for tourism, Santa Ana’s population is affected by multidimensional poverty, precarious work conditions, homelessness, broken streets and sewer systems, limited quality education, and lack of recreation and sport spaces. While Santa Ana’s Community Action Board aims to unify efforts and resources to solve these problems, the state’s capacity to meet the requirements of the Board is limited. Methods: We evaluated the relationship between healthy lifestyles and characteristics of Santa Ana’s school using the Our Voice Citizen Science Research Method. This systemic approach combines information and communication technologies with group facilitation to empower adolescents to: 1) collect and discuss data about factors in their local environments that facilitate or hinder well-being within their school community; 2) identify relevant local stakeholders who could help to address the issues identified; and 3) advocate collectively for local improvements to support increased well-being at a community level. Results: Eleven citizen scientists ages 13 to 17 years from the science club of Institución Educativa Santa Ana were recruited and together conducted 11 walks within the school to collect data about the facilitators and barriers to student well-being. They identified barriers to well-being related to school infrastructure, furniture, bathrooms, and sense of belonging. They then advocated with school stakeholders and reached agreements on concrete actions to address identified barriers, including fostering a culture among students of caring for school property, and presenting their findings to the community action board. This methodology allowed the community to realize how students can become agents of change and take collective action when motivated by practice-focused methodologies such as Our Voice. Project ripple effects, including greater empowerment and participation in collective actions by students, also were observed. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of the school’s built environment in the well-being of students in rural areas. The Our Voice method provided the opportunity to inform school-based interventions, and promoted ripple effects that expanded productive dialogue to the community level and generated systemic actions involving actors outside of the school community.
Urban Care for Unpaid Caregivers: Community Voices in the Care Block Program, in Bogotá, Colombia
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2024) Paula Guevara-Aladino; Olga L. Sarmiento; María Alejandra Rubio; Lina María Gómez-García; Zakaria Nadeem Doueiri; Diego Martínez; Abby C. King; Adriana Hurtado Tarazona; Ann Banchoff; Luis A. Guzmán
The Care Block of Bogotá, Colombia, is an urban program that offers services for low-income unpaid caregivers. This study aimed to (i) characterize unpaid caregivers' subjective well-being, mental health symptoms, physical activity levels, and use of public spaces linked to the Care Block; (ii) identify caregivers' perceived built and social environment facilitators and barriers to accessing the Care Block facility; and (iii) document the community-led advocacy process to improve the Care Block program. The quantitative component included a subjective well-being and mental health symptoms survey, and the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) instrument. The qualitative component included the Our Voice citizen science method augmented with portable virtual reality equipment to engage participants in advocacy for changes. Participants (median age of 53 years) dedicated a median of 13.8 h a day to unpaid caregiving, had an average subjective well-being score of 7.0, and 19.1% and 23.8% reported having depression and generalized anxiety symptoms respectively. Caregivers reported that the program fosters their perception of purpose, enjoyment, resilience, and cognitive and emotional awareness. SOPARC evaluation showed that most women engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The caregivers highlighted education, physical activity services, and integration of facilities as facilitators to accessing the Care Block program. Poor quality and lack of sidewalks and roads, limited personal safety, and the risk of pedestrian-vehicle collisions were identified as barriers. Virtual Reality sparked compelling dialogue between participants and stakeholders, allowing stakeholders to reflect on an urban program facilitating unpaid care work.
Urban Care for Unpaid Caregivers: community' voices in the Care Block program, in Bogotá, Colombia.
(2023) Paula Guevara-Aladino; Olga L. Sarmiento; María Alejandra Rubio; Lina María Gómez-García; Zakaria Nadeem Doueiri; Diego Martínez; Abby C. King; Adriana Hurtado; Ann Banchoff; Luis A. Guzmán
<title>Abstract</title> The Care Blocks of Bogotá, Colombia, are an urban planning program that offers services for low-income unpaid caregivers and their dependents. This study aimed to i) characterize the experiences of unpaid caregivers in the areas of well-being and physical activity levels and the use of public spaces linked to the Care Block; ii) identify caregivers’ perceived built and social environment facilitators and barriers to access and use the Care Block facility; and iii) document the community-led advocacy process to further advance benefits of the Care Block program. The quantitative component included a survey and the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) instrument. The qualitative component used the Our Voice citizen science method augmented with portable virtual reality equipment to engage participants in advocacy for community changes. Participants (N=21; photos and audio recordings=257) had a median age of 53 years (IQR = 40-63) and dedicated a median of 13.5 hours a day to unpaid caregiving. SOPARC evaluation results (108 observed participants) showed that most women (87.13%) engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity (e.g., dancing). The caregivers highlighted education, physical activity services, and integration of facilities as facilitators to accessing the Care Block program. Poor quality and lack of sidewalks and roads, limited personal safety, and the risk of pedestrian-vehicle collisions were identified as barriers. Virtual Reality helped promote data visualization and create a compelling opportunity to spark dialogue between participants and stakeholders. This study allowed stakeholders to reflect on an urban initiative facilitating unpaid care work.