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. 2022 Nov 10;19(22):14790.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192214790.

Our Voice NOLA: Leveraging a Community Engaged Citizen Science Method to Contextualize the New Orleans Food Environment

Hasheemah Afaneh  1 , Praveena K Fernes  2 , Emma C Lewis  3 , Abby C King  4 , Ann Banchoff  4 , Jylana L Sheats  5
Affiliations

Our Voice NOLA: Leveraging a Community Engaged Citizen Science Method to Contextualize the New Orleans Food Environment

Hasheemah Afaneh et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Objective: We employed the Our Voice citizen scientist method using a mobile application (app) to identify and contextualize neighborhood-level features influencing food access and wellbeing in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Design: A three-phase, multi-method study comprised of: (1) a researcher-assisted tag-a-long neighborhood walk (referred to as a 'journey') with the Discovery Tool (DT) app to document neighborhood-level features via geo-coded photos and audio-recorded narratives; (2) a post-journey interview to enable citizen scientists to share their lived experiences; and (3) a community meeting with citizen scientists and local stakeholders.

Setting: Various neighborhoods in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Participants: Citizen Scientists (i.e., residents) aged 18 years and older.

Main outcome measure(s): Features that influence food access and health behaviors.

Analysis: Descriptive statistics and a thematic content analysis were conducted to assess survey and app data.

Results: Citizen scientists (N = 14) captured 178 photos and 184 audio narratives. Eight major themes were identified: safety; walkability; aesthetics; amenities; food; health services; neighborhood changes; and infrastructure/city planning. The post-journey interview provided insights around the abovementioned themes. The community meeting demonstrated the willingness of citizen scientists and stakeholders to convene and discuss issues and relevant solutions.

Conclusions and implications: Findings demonstrate the ability of technology and citizen science to help better understand the complexities of New Orleans' past, present and distinct culture-and implications for food access and wellbeing in the context of trauma in an urban ecosystem.

Keywords: citizen science; digital health; food access; food environment; social determinants of health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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