Co-construction d’une étude sur la santé des Gens du voyage : retours d’expériences

Abstract

Introduction: Travelers have poorer health than the general population due to more precarious living conditions. In France, there are no epidemiological studies on Travelers, accentuating their invisibility in public health policy and planning. Discrimination against them, their distrust of the state and institutions, and their non-prioritization of health were the reasons for a participatory research project on Travelers’ health status. This research was carried out collaboratively by researchers, decision-makers, associations, and volunteer Travelers in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Purpose of research: In this article we aim to share the challenges and benefits of the co-construction of this research.

Results: The approach allowed the specific and sometimes divergent expectations of the stakeholders to be expressed and taken into consideration. It required a period of mutual acculturation, which resulted in a high level of participation in the study (74 percent), the acquisition of knowledge and skills, and the identification of points of contention. This participatory approach led to a better appropriation of the study and a greater awareness of health issues among the respondents, particularly thanks to the co-construction of the questionnaire and the communication tools.

Conclusions: This approach highlights the need to involve stakeholders in the governance of the research project from the very beginning. The approach was all the more crucial as it involved socially excluded people, and aims to avoid the possibility of excluding them further in the production of knowledge that concerns them.