Photovoice

1. Participants Take Photographs: People directly impacted by a certain issue are given cameras or smartphones to document their day-to-day lives or specific experiences.
2. Discussion and Reflection: After capturing their images, participants discuss what their photos represent. These reflections can highlight critical insights about their challenges, aspirations, or the realities they face.
3.  Creating a Narrative: Through storytelling, participants attach personal meanings to the images. This narrative adds context to the photographs and can be used to communicate powerful stories to a wider audience.
4. Advocacy and Policy Change: The results from photovoice studies are often shared with decision-makers, researchers, and the public to bring attention to important community issues. This approach can help advocate for policy changes by offering a visual and emotional appeal alongside data.

Photovoice offers several advantages in the field of health research:

• Amplifies Voices: It gives a platform to communities that have been marginalized and who may not have traditional opportunities to contribute to research.
• Bridges Quantitative and Qualitative Data: Combining images with personal stories adds emotional depth to data, providing a fuller understanding of public health issues.
• Promotes Change: Photovoice findings are often used to influence public policy, as the visual representation can be compelling for stakeholders.

The Amplifying the Lived Experiences of Community Health Workers (ALEC), led by Chidinma Ibe, PhD in collaboration with the National Association of Community Health Workers, centered around the lived experiences of community health workers (CHWs) working in Baltimore City. The study consisted of four cohorts of CHWs, who met over a series of 5 months. Throughout the span of the study, participants took photos that reflected their experiences as CHWs, with a focus on the social determinants of health (SDOH) faced by CHWs and their clients. During each meeting, the participants shared their photos and participated in facilitated discussions about the images.
The ALEC study contributed to an exhibit entitled More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021–2022 which will be on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art November 3, 2024 to March 23, 2025.

The "Five Plus Nuts and Beans for Kidneys" study, Deidra C. Crews, MD, ScM, Edgar R. Miller, MD, PhD, and Anika Hines, PhD, MPH, focused on improving kidney health through dietary interventions. The study promoted the consumption of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, including nuts and beans, to support kidney function. By involving the community in dietary changes and incorporating their perspectives, the study aimed to address health disparities and encourage sustainable, healthy eating practices, particularly in underserved populations.

The study incorporated Photovoice, which allowed community members to visually express how dietary changes, like increasing fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans, impacted their kidney health and overall well-being.