Photovoice study of the food environment in Villaverde, Madrid: A participatory research project for Obesity Prevention

The main objective is to conduct a participatory-action research strategy to better understand the role of the local food environment in relation to diet and obesity.

We worked in two different neighborhoods, Los Rosales and San Cristóbal, in the District of Villaverde. Villaverde is located in the south of Madrid and presents some of the worst socioeconomic and health indicators of Madrid municipality.

A group of women and another one of men were formed in each of the neighborhoods. Once a week during one month and a half the four groups met together at least five times to debate and analyze the pictures they took on their neighborhood and their food environment.

A total of 24 residents participated in this project, taking and discussing a total of 163 photographs. 31 were finally selected, analyzed and debated in the group sessions. These photographs were included in a Photobook and will be exhibited in different venues.

In the last of their sessions each group classified the photographs in different categories related to food in the neighborhood. The resulting categories of the four groups were finally merged into six main themes, which configured the sections of the Photobook and of the public exhibition to be released on December 1st 2015:

o Cultural diversity
o Ageing
o Poverty and crisis
o Food trade
o Social relationships
o Eating in moderation