“If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities
Background: Families residing in disadvantaged communities encounter inequalities that restrict their engagement in physical activity. Family-based interventions and health coordinators have been proposed as promising approaches to encourage physical activity among parents and children. However, the...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Public Health in Practice |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001125 |
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| author | Lisette Farias Mai-Lis Hellenius Gisela Nyberg Susanne Andermo |
| author_facet | Lisette Farias Mai-Lis Hellenius Gisela Nyberg Susanne Andermo |
| author_sort | Lisette Farias |
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| description | Background: Families residing in disadvantaged communities encounter inequalities that restrict their engagement in physical activity. Family-based interventions and health coordinators have been proposed as promising approaches to encourage physical activity among parents and children. However, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding family experiences of such programmes and the ways health coordinators facilitate continued participation in programmes delivered in disadvantaged communities. The study aimed to explore parents’ perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based physical activity programme, Open Activities, delivered in disadvantaged communities in Sweden. Study design: An exploratory design with a qualitative ethnographic approach. Methods: Multiple methods, including 12 interviews, 15 observations and field notes, and prolonged researcher engagement between February 2022 and December 2023, were used to obtain complementary insights into parents’ perceptions and experiences in the Open Activities programme. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: A main theme and three sub-themes emerged from the analysis. The sub-themes reflect participants’ perceptions of how health coordinators provide a sense of safety for parents and children, making them feel appreciated and motivated to continue participating in the programme. The sub-themes also reflect the struggles that families encounter with security and social disorders in their neighbourhoods and how these difficulties influence their participation in outdoor activities and trust in outside people, including health coordinators. This required health coordinators to demonstrate a deep commitment to their communities, cultivate trust and fairness, and take a more assertive role in enforcing rules and ensuring respect. Conclusion: The involvement of health coordinators, aware of the issues facing disadvantaged communities, could represent a promising avenue for advancing health equity through physical activity. Failure to consider the potential of health coordinators to promote safety can compromise programmes’ sustainability and even exacerbate existing disparities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f315549b84c540a79dbe7a065e181947 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-5352 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health in Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-f315549b84c540a79dbe7a065e1819472024-12-26T08:57:59ZengElsevierPublic Health in Practice2666-53522025-06-019100575“If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communitiesLisette Farias0Mai-Lis Hellenius1Gisela Nyberg2Susanne Andermo3Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Occupational Therapy, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden; Corresponding author. Adress: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Occupational Therapy, Alfred Nobels Allé 23, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden.Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine, 171 77, Solna, SwedenThe Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Department of Physical Activity and Health, Lidingövägen 1, 114 33, Stockholm, Sweden; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Global Public Health, 171 77, Stockholm, SwedenKarolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden; The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Department of Physical Activity and Health, Lidingövägen 1, 114 33, Stockholm, SwedenBackground: Families residing in disadvantaged communities encounter inequalities that restrict their engagement in physical activity. Family-based interventions and health coordinators have been proposed as promising approaches to encourage physical activity among parents and children. However, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding family experiences of such programmes and the ways health coordinators facilitate continued participation in programmes delivered in disadvantaged communities. The study aimed to explore parents’ perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based physical activity programme, Open Activities, delivered in disadvantaged communities in Sweden. Study design: An exploratory design with a qualitative ethnographic approach. Methods: Multiple methods, including 12 interviews, 15 observations and field notes, and prolonged researcher engagement between February 2022 and December 2023, were used to obtain complementary insights into parents’ perceptions and experiences in the Open Activities programme. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: A main theme and three sub-themes emerged from the analysis. The sub-themes reflect participants’ perceptions of how health coordinators provide a sense of safety for parents and children, making them feel appreciated and motivated to continue participating in the programme. The sub-themes also reflect the struggles that families encounter with security and social disorders in their neighbourhoods and how these difficulties influence their participation in outdoor activities and trust in outside people, including health coordinators. This required health coordinators to demonstrate a deep commitment to their communities, cultivate trust and fairness, and take a more assertive role in enforcing rules and ensuring respect. Conclusion: The involvement of health coordinators, aware of the issues facing disadvantaged communities, could represent a promising avenue for advancing health equity through physical activity. Failure to consider the potential of health coordinators to promote safety can compromise programmes’ sustainability and even exacerbate existing disparities.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001125Access to physical activityHealth disparitiesHealth promotersSocioeconomic status |
| spellingShingle | Lisette Farias Mai-Lis Hellenius Gisela Nyberg Susanne Andermo “If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities Public Health in Practice Access to physical activity Health disparities Health promoters Socioeconomic status |
| title | “If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities |
| title_full | “If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities |
| title_fullStr | “If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | “If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities |
| title_short | “If children don't feel safe, they won't come back”: A qualitative exploration of parents' perceptions of health coordinators in a family-based programme in socially disadvantaged communities |
| title_sort | if children don t feel safe they won t come back a qualitative exploration of parents perceptions of health coordinators in a family based programme in socially disadvantaged communities |
| topic | Access to physical activity Health disparities Health promoters Socioeconomic status |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001125 |
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