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Employing Participatory Citizen Science Methods to Promote Age-Friendly Environments Worldwide

Author

Listed:
  • Abby C. King

    (Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
    Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Diane K. King

    (Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA)

  • Ann Banchoff

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Smadar Solomonov

    (JDC Eshel, Jerusalem 91034, Israel)

  • Ofir Ben Natan

    (JDC Eshel, Jerusalem 91034, Israel)

  • Jenna Hua

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Paul Gardiner

    (Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia)

  • Lisa Goldman Rosas

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Sandra J. Winter

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Jylana Sheats

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Deborah Salvo

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Nicolas Aguilar-Farias

    (Department of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile)

  • Afroditi Stathi

    (School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

  • Adriano Akira Hino

    (Postgraduate Program in Health Technology (PPGTS), Polytechnic School, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Curitiba (PR) 80215-901, Brazil)

  • Michelle M. Porter

    (Centre on Aging, and Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, MB R3T 2N2, Canada)

  • On behalf of the Our Voice Global Citizen Science Research Network

Abstract

The trajectory of aging is profoundly impacted by the physical and social environmental contexts in which we live. While “top–down” policy activities can have potentially wide impacts on such contexts, they often take time, resources, and political will, and therefore can be less accessible to underserved communities. This article describes a “bottom–up”, resident-engaged method to advance local environmental and policy change, called Our Voice, that can complement policy-level strategies for improving the health, function, and well-being of older adults. Using the World Health Organization’s age-friendly cities global strategy, we describe the Our Voice citizen science program of research that has specifically targeted older adults as environmental change agents to improve their own health and well-being as well as that of their communities. Results from 14 Our Voice studies that have occurred across five continents demonstrate that older adults can learn to use mobile technology to systematically capture and collectively analyze their own data. They can then successfully build consensus around high-priority issues that can be realistically changed and work effectively with local stakeholders to enact meaningful environmental and policy changes that can help to promote healthy aging. The article ends with recommended next steps for growing the resident-engaged citizen science field to advance the health and welfare of all older adults.

Suggested Citation

  • Abby C. King & Diane K. King & Ann Banchoff & Smadar Solomonov & Ofir Ben Natan & Jenna Hua & Paul Gardiner & Lisa Goldman Rosas & Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa & Sandra J. Winter & Jylana Sheats & Debo, 2020. "Employing Participatory Citizen Science Methods to Promote Age-Friendly Environments Worldwide," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-30, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1541-:d:325879
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Astrid Kemperman & Pauline van den Berg & Minou Weijs-Perrée & Kevin Uijtdewillegen, 2019. "Loneliness of Older Adults: Social Network and the Living Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Rachel Welborn & Laura Downey & Patricia Hyjer Dyk & Pamela A. Monroe & Crystal Tyler-Mackey & Sheri L. Worthy, 2016. "Turning the Tide on Poverty: Documenting impacts through Ripple Effect Mapping," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(3), pages 385-402, July.
    3. Ronald J. Angel & Jacqueline L. Angel & Terrence D. Hill, 2015. "Longer Lives, Sicker Lives? Increased Longevity and Extended Disability Among Mexican-Origin Elders," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(4), pages 639-649.
    4. Rachel A. Pruchno & Maureen Wilson-Genderson & Francine P. Cartwright, 2012. "The Texture of Neighborhoods and Disability Among Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 67(1), pages 89-98.
    5. S. V. Subramanian & Laura Kubzansky & Lisa Berkman & Martha Fay & Ichiro Kawachi, 2006. "Neighborhood Effects on the Self-Rated Health of Elders: Uncovering the Relative Importance of Structural and Service-Related Neighborhood Environments," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(3), pages 153-160.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hasheemah Afaneh & Praveena K. Fernes & Emma C. Lewis & Abby C. King & Ann Banchoff & Jylana L. Sheats, 2022. "Our Voice NOLA: Leveraging a Community Engaged Citizen Science Method to Contextualize the New Orleans Food Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Abby C. King & Feyisayo A. Odunitan-Wayas & Moushumi Chaudhury & Maria Alejandra Rubio & Michael Baiocchi & Tracy Kolbe-Alexander & Felipe Montes & Ann Banchoff & Olga Lucia Sarmiento & Katarina Bälte, 2021. "Community-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequities and Fostering Environmental Justice through Global Youth-Engaged Citizen Science," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-29, January.
    3. Jeroen Dikken & Rudy F.M. van den Hoven & Willeke H. van Staalduinen & Loes M.T. Hulsebosch-Janssen & Joost van Hoof, 2020. "How Older People Experience the Age-Friendliness of Their City: Development of the Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Questionnaire," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Maja Pedersen & Grace E. R. Wood & Praveena K. Fernes & Lisa Goldman Rosas & Ann Banchoff & Abby C. King, 2022. "The “Our Voice” Method: Participatory Action Citizen Science Research to Advance Behavioral Health and Health Equity Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-16, November.
    5. Bárbara-Mariana Gutiérrez-Pérez & Antonio-Víctor Martín-García & Alicia Murciano-Hueso & Ana-Paula Oliveira Cardoso, 2023. "Use of serious games with older adults: systematic literature review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Arjan S. Walia & Abby C. King & Maria I. Campero & Dulce M. Garcia & Rebecca E. Lee & Astrid N. Zamora, 2024. "Exploring the Relationship between Built Environment Attributes and Physical Activity in Lower-Income Aging Adults: Preliminary Insights from a Multi-Level Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(5), pages 1-17, May.
    7. Sophia Graham & Caroline Cao Zha & Abby C. King & Ann W. Banchoff & Clea Sarnquist & Michele Dauber & Michael Baiocchi, 2021. "A Novel Model for Generating Creative, Community-Responsive Interventions to Reduce Gender-Based Violence on College Campuses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-18, July.
    8. Hui-Chuan Hsu, 2020. "Associations of City-Level Active Aging and Age Friendliness with Well-Being among Older Adults Aged 55 and Over in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-17, June.
    9. Nicolas Aguilar-Farias & Francisca Roman Mella & Andrea Cortinez-O’Ryan & Jaime Carcamo-Oyarzun & Alvaro Cerda & Marcelo Toledo-Vargas & Sebastian Miranda-Marquez & Susana Cortes-Morales & Teresa Balb, 2022. "Redrawing Cities with Children and Adolescents: Development of a Framework and Opportunity Index for Wellbeing—The REDibuja Study Protocol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, April.
    10. Chunmei Zhang & Jun Yang, 2023. "Evaluation of the Quality of the Age-Friendly Environment in Liaoning Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-13, November.
    11. E. L. Sharp & M. Kah & S. W. R. Tsang & A. P. Martin & R. E. Turnbull, 2024. "Committing to diversity in participants, participation and knowledge production: place-based insights from the community science of Soilsafe Aotearoa," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.

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