e-PAR: Using technology and participatory action research to engage youth in health promotion

• Published in: Action research (London, England) England), 2008-09, Vol.6 (3), p.285-303
• Main Authors: Flicker, Sarah, Maley, Oonagh, Ridgley, Andrea, Biscope, Sherry, Lombardo, Charlotte, Skinner, Harvey A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Social integration. Social relations. Social participation; Social organization. Social system. Social structure; Sociology; Sociology of communication and mass media. Sociolinguistics; Sociology of health and medicine; Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture
• ISSN: 1476-7503; 1741-2617
• DOI: 10.1177/1476750307083711

There is increasing interest in `moving upstream' in youth health promotion efforts to focus on building youth self-esteem, self-efficacy and civic engagement. Participatory Action Research (PAR) can be a powerful mechanism for galvanizing youth to become active agents of this change. Engaging youth in PAR and health promotion, however, is not always an easy task. This article describes a model (e-PAR) for using technology and Participatory Action Research to engage youth in community health promotion. The e-PAR Model was developed iteratively in collaboration with 57 youth and five community partners through seven projects. The Model is designed to be used with a group of youth working with a facilitator within a youth-serving organization. In addition to outlining the theoretical basis of the e-PAR Model, this article provides an overview of how the Model was developed along with implications for practice and research.