Title |
Citizen science applied to building healthier community environments: advancing the field through shared construct and measurement development
|
---|---|
Published in |
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, September 2017
|
DOI | 10.1186/s12966-017-0588-6 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Erica Hinckson, Margaret Schneider, Sandra J. Winter, Emily Stone, Milo Puhan, Afroditi Stathi, Michelle M. Porter, Paul A. Gardiner, Daniela Lopes dos Santos, Andrea Wolff, Abby C. King |
Abstract |
Physical inactivity across the lifespan remains a public health issue for many developed countries. Inactivity has contributed considerably to the pervasiveness of lifestyle diseases. Government, national and local agencies and organizations have been unable to systematically, and in a coordinated way, translate behavioral research into practice that makes a difference at a population level. One approach for mobilizing multi-level efforts to improve the environment for physical activity is to engage in a process of citizen science. Citizen Science here is defined as a participatory research approach involving members of the public working closely with research investigators to initiate and advance scientific research projects. However, there are no common measures or protocols to guide citizen science research at the local community setting. We describe overarching categories of constructs that can be considered when designing citizen science projects expected to yield multi-level interventions, and provide an example of the citizen science approach to promoting PA. We also recommend potential measures across different levels of impact. Encouraging some consistency in measurement across studies will potentially accelerate the efficiency with which citizen science participatory research provides new insights into and solutions to the behaviorally-based public health issues that drive most of morbidity and mortality. The measures described in this paper abide by four fundamental principles specifically selected for inclusion in citizen science projects: feasibility, accuracy, propriety, and utility. The choice of measures will take into account the potential resources available for outcome and process evaluation. Our intent is to emphasize the importance for all citizen science participatory projects to follow an evidence-based approach and ensure that they incorporate an appropriate assessment protocol. We provided the rationale for and a list of contextual factors along with specific examples of measures to encourage consistency among studies that plan to use a citizen science participatory approach. The potential of this approach to promote health and wellbeing in communities is high and we hope that we have provided the tools needed to optimally promote synergistic gains in knowledge across a range of Citizen Science participatory projects. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 15 | 25% |
United States | 8 | 13% |
Australia | 4 | 7% |
Argentina | 2 | 3% |
Netherlands | 2 | 3% |
Colombia | 1 | 2% |
Chile | 1 | 2% |
Brazil | 1 | 2% |
Finland | 1 | 2% |
Other | 4 | 7% |
Unknown | 21 | 35% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Scientists | 29 | 48% |
Members of the public | 22 | 37% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 7 | 12% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 300 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 46 | 15% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 37 | 12% |
Researcher | 34 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 23 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 16 | 5% |
Other | 58 | 19% |
Unknown | 86 | 29% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Social Sciences | 32 | 11% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 32 | 11% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 30 | 10% |
Sports and Recreations | 22 | 7% |
Environmental Science | 12 | 4% |
Other | 67 | 22% |
Unknown | 105 | 35% |