“For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women

Sauter, Alexandra; Herbert-Maul, Annika; Abu‐Omar, Karim; Thiel, Ansgar; Ziemainz, Heiko; Frahsa, Annika; Linder, Stephanie; Herrmann-Johns, Anne

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.867626

Cited by 4 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…This empowerment manifests as increased self-efficacy and self-confidence ( 35 , 36 ). Sauter et al ( 37 ) analyzed qualitative interviews conducted at five BIG sites between 2007 and 2011 and confirmed the positive effects on their individual empowerment (e.g., expansion of their social network and increased integration of PA into their daily lives). They also emphasized the impact on women's organizational (e. g., communicating their desires and requirements to others) and community empowerment (e.g., developing advanced problem-solving skills) ( 37 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…They also emphasized the impact on women's organizational (e. g., communicating their desires and requirements to others) and community empowerment (e.g., developing advanced problem-solving skills) ( 37 ). The transferability of the BIG approach was observed among the examined communities ( 37 ). Furthermore, quantitative data collected at two BIG sites between 2006 and 2013 reported improved health status and increased PA among participating women compared to before BIG participation ( 38 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participation had positive effects on the general wellbeing and PA behavior of the participating women and contributed to their empowerment ( 33 – 38 ). While several studies have reported these short-term effects of participatory interventions ( 31 – 37 ), there is a lack of studies examining the long-term effects of participation in long-standing CBPR projects on the health and health behavior of socially disadvantaged women ( 39 ). These long-term effects might only occur years after the projects have been implemented when women have participated for several years ( 40 , 41 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“That's like therapy”—A qualitative study on socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of a community-based participatory research project on their health and health behavior

Kreiml,

Sauter,

Abu-Omar

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundRegular physical activity has positive effects on both physical and mental health. Nevertheless, socially disadvantaged women are often insufficiently physically active. Through needs-based physical activity offers, community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects have the potential to reach these women and increase the effectiveness of physical activity interventions by supporting women's empowerment, health, and health behaviors. This study aimed to examine socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of long-term participation in Bewegung als Investition in Gesundheit (BIG, i.e., movement as an investment in health), a long-standing German CBPR project, on their health and health behavior.MethodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 participating women at five BIG sites across Germany between April and August 2022. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using framework analysis.ResultsWomen reported that participation in BIG classes contributed to their physical, mental, and social health. For many women, the positive effects on their mental and social wellbeing were most important. In addition to increased fitness and improved physical endurance, many participating women were able to expand their social networks, thus receiving further social support, and improve their self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. Furthermore, participation in BIG physical activity classes positively influenced the health awareness of many women helping them to improve their activity level and diet over time.ConclusionOur results suggest that CBPR projects, such as the BIG project, can increase physical activity among socially disadvantaged groups and contribute to their overall health and wellbeing. CBPR projects could thus be considered a key element of health promotion for this target group. Future interventional research is required to confirm and further explore the effects of CBPR interventions and to examine whether the effects can be replicated in other settings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“That's like therapy”—A qualitative study on socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of a community-based participatory research project on their health and health behavior

Kreiml,

Sauter,

Abu-Omar

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

Self Cite

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“…However, they may be vulnerable to other human rights abuses and suffer poor health outcomes [ 25 ]. Research has shown that women empowerment programs have contributed to women’s increased motivation to change physical activity behavior [ 26 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-sectional study on the perceived barriers to physical exercise among women in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Shabu,

Saka,

Al-Banna

et al. 2023

BMC Women's Health

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Background Limited research has investigated the barriers to physical exercise among women in Iraqi Kurdistan Region and other similar Muslim and Middle Eastern societies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of perceived barriers to physical exercise among women and examine the associations of these barriers with the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, from December 2022 to January 2023. A self-administered online survey was designed using Google Forms. A convenience sample of 500 women and girls aged 18–65 years was selected for the study. A questionnaire was designed for data collection, including a list of 21 potential barriers to physical exercise developed based on literature review and experts’ opinions. The barriers were divided into three categories: interpersonal (8 barriers), social environment (8 barriers), and built environment factors (5 barriers). The participants were asked to indicate for each potential barrier whether it was “not really a barrier, somewhat a barrier, or a very important barrier.“ The statistical package for social sciences was used to estimate the prevalence of different barriers and assess their association with sociodemographic characteristics using the Chi-square test. Results The prevalence of physical inactivity among the study participants was 68.2%. The most prevalent interpersonal barriers to physical exercise included lack of time (47.4%), followed by fatigue (24%), and cost (22.4%). Regarding social environment factors, work (30.6%), harassment outside (22.2%), not having a friend or family member accompanying (19%), and not being allowed by family (15.4%) were the most prevalent barriers to physical exercise. Lack of footpaths, cycle lanes, or parks (34.4%), limited accessibility of gyms or other exercise facilities (25.8%), and environmental pollution (21%) were the most prevalent built environment factors as barriers to physical exercise. Conclusion Women in Iraqi Kurdistan Region experience many barriers to physical exercise. Women require family and social support and awareness about exercise benefits to overcome interpersonal and social environment barriers to physical exercise. Built environment factors are very important barriers and can be reduced by taking appropriate action and adopting necessary policies to provide the required infrastructure and facilities for physical exercise.

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“…In the following, we refer to these considerations and to “empowerment outcomes on the individual” level and “empowering processes on the organizational and community levels” ( 39 ). Our approach has been used in previous studies examining the empowerment of socially disadvantaged women through their participation in PA promotion ( 43 , 44 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empowerment through participation in community-based participatory research—effects of a physical activity promotion project among socially disadvantaged women

Röger-Offergeld,

Kurfer,

Brandl-Bredenbeck

2023

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionCommunity-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches are associated with a range of positive impacts on empowerment. However, only a few studies have investigated the influence of different modes of target group participation on empowerment. The present study examined the empowerment processes and outcomes of women in difficult life situations through their participation as co-researchers in the form of Photovoice in “Stark durch Bewegung” (English: “Strong through Movement”), a CBPR project for physical activity (PA) promotion. The extent to which women’s participation as co-researchers leads to empowerment was compared with other forms of participation.MethodsThe Photovoice approach consisted of three components: (1) photo task, (2) focus group interviews, and (3) exhibition of photos. It was then extended through participant observation. A total of 18 women took part in Photovoice. They took photos, were involved in four focus groups, helped in the analysis of data, and supported their exhibition. Two additional short focus group interviews in which four more women participated were conducted at the end of the project. The interview guideline was based on the SHOWeD questions proposed within the framework of Photovoice and enriched with various other questions (e.g., self-efficacy, social contacts, and community involvement). The data were analyzed based on a grounded theory approach.Results“Stark durch Bewegung” contributed to women’s empowerment in several ways. By participating in the project’s PA programs, the women reported numerous empowerment effects, such as improved self-efficacy, perceived competencies like swimming and language skills, and social networks. By participating as co-researchers, they perceived empowering processes on organizational and community levels that are comparable with other forms of participation (e.g., participation in a cooperative planning group) but also differ from them at relevant points (e.g., encouraging them to reflect on their own PA behaviors). The willingness to get involved in Photovoice was estimated to be significantly higher than in other possible forms of participation.ConclusionOur findings support the notion that health promotion interventions with marginalized groups can contribute to their empowerment on multiple levels when participants become equal partners in the CBPR project. Involving women as co-researchers has advantages over other forms of participation in terms of their empowerment.

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“For me, it's just a piece of freedom”—Increased empowerment through physical activity promotion among socially disadvantaged women

Cited by 4 publications

References 49 publications

“That's like therapy”—A qualitative study on socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of a community-based participatory research project on their health and health behavior

“That's like therapy”—A qualitative study on socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of a community-based participatory research project on their health and health behavior

A cross-sectional study on the perceived barriers to physical exercise among women in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Empowerment through participation in community-based participatory research—effects of a physical activity promotion project among socially disadvantaged women

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