“For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women
IntroductionCommunity-based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective health promotion approach for reaching socially disadvantaged groups. However, there is limited evidence on how such interventions and their effects can be reproduced across time and place. The present study examines the effec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.867626/full |
| _version_ | 1811164120087527424 |
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| author | Alexandra Sauter Annika Herbert-Maul Karim Abu-Omar Ansgar Thiel Heiko Ziemainz Annika Frahsa Stephanie Linder Anne Herrmann-Johns |
| author_facet | Alexandra Sauter Annika Herbert-Maul Karim Abu-Omar Ansgar Thiel Heiko Ziemainz Annika Frahsa Stephanie Linder Anne Herrmann-Johns |
| author_sort | Alexandra Sauter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionCommunity-based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective health promotion approach for reaching socially disadvantaged groups. However, there is limited evidence on how such interventions and their effects can be reproduced across time and place. The present study examines the effects of BIG (i.e., movement as an investment in health), a long-standing German CBPR project. Since 2005, BIG has aimed to empower women in difficult life situations to increase control over their health determinants and reduce social inequalities by promoting physical activity. One of BIG's key features is its implementation in several German municipalities since 2005. This study explores (a) whether participation could change women's empowerment, and (b) how increased empowerment affects other areas of women's lives.MethodsWith a total of 63 interviewees (i.e., 40 participating women, 7 trainers, 3 project coordinators, and 13 stakeholders), we conducted 53 semi-structured qualitative interviews in five BIG communities between 2007 and 2011. Some interviews were conducted with two people simultaneously. The interview guide contained questions on various dimensions of empowerment (e.g., project engagement, increased self-efficacy, and developed competencies). Framework analysis was used for the analytical process.ResultsBIG contributed to women's empowerment in various ways, including increased self-efficacy, social network promotion, competency development, and increased motivation to change physical activity behavior. Women who took on added tasks and became more involved in project planning also strengthened their organizational empowerment. Furthermore, increased empowerment had a positive influence on the women's quality of life, family, and professional lives.ConclusionThe novel findings helped in understanding the effects of a complex empowerment-based approach that promoted physical activity among women in difficult life situations. Future research should focus on the long-term effects of these programs and their transferability to other sites. Further effort is necessary in the area of public health policy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:16:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-664d642cf26445cbb374b0a32ba01bd2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:16:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-664d642cf26445cbb374b0a32ba01bd22023-02-14T19:19:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-07-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.867626867626“For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged womenAlexandra Sauter0Annika Herbert-Maul1Karim Abu-Omar2Ansgar Thiel3Heiko Ziemainz4Annika Frahsa5Stephanie Linder6Anne Herrmann-Johns7Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Medical Sociology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, GermanyDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, GermanyDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, GermanyInstitute of Sports Science, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, GermanyInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, GermanyDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Medical Sociology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, GermanyIntroductionCommunity-based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective health promotion approach for reaching socially disadvantaged groups. However, there is limited evidence on how such interventions and their effects can be reproduced across time and place. The present study examines the effects of BIG (i.e., movement as an investment in health), a long-standing German CBPR project. Since 2005, BIG has aimed to empower women in difficult life situations to increase control over their health determinants and reduce social inequalities by promoting physical activity. One of BIG's key features is its implementation in several German municipalities since 2005. This study explores (a) whether participation could change women's empowerment, and (b) how increased empowerment affects other areas of women's lives.MethodsWith a total of 63 interviewees (i.e., 40 participating women, 7 trainers, 3 project coordinators, and 13 stakeholders), we conducted 53 semi-structured qualitative interviews in five BIG communities between 2007 and 2011. Some interviews were conducted with two people simultaneously. The interview guide contained questions on various dimensions of empowerment (e.g., project engagement, increased self-efficacy, and developed competencies). Framework analysis was used for the analytical process.ResultsBIG contributed to women's empowerment in various ways, including increased self-efficacy, social network promotion, competency development, and increased motivation to change physical activity behavior. Women who took on added tasks and became more involved in project planning also strengthened their organizational empowerment. Furthermore, increased empowerment had a positive influence on the women's quality of life, family, and professional lives.ConclusionThe novel findings helped in understanding the effects of a complex empowerment-based approach that promoted physical activity among women in difficult life situations. Future research should focus on the long-term effects of these programs and their transferability to other sites. Further effort is necessary in the area of public health policy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.867626/fullphysical activityempowermentcommunity-based participatory researchwomen's healthlow socioeconomic statusethnic minority |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra Sauter Annika Herbert-Maul Karim Abu-Omar Ansgar Thiel Heiko Ziemainz Annika Frahsa Stephanie Linder Anne Herrmann-Johns “For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women Frontiers in Public Health physical activity empowerment community-based participatory research women's health low socioeconomic status ethnic minority |
| title | “For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women |
| title_full | “For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women |
| title_fullStr | “For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women |
| title_full_unstemmed | “For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women |
| title_short | “For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women |
| title_sort | for me it s just a piece of freedom increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women |
| topic | physical activity empowerment community-based participatory research women's health low socioeconomic status ethnic minority |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.867626/full |
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