Abstract
Emerging evidence points towards a lower quality of life, fragile social relations and suboptimal health behavior and status of residents living in social housing areas characterized by ethnic diversity and socioeconomic deprivation. Community-based health promotion interventions developed in collaboration with the target group and adjusted to the local context can affect the acceptance of and engagement in such interventions. However, few studies have investigated the potential of community-based interventions in deprived social housing areas. This study explores residents’ perspectives on engagement in a community-based health promotion intervention focusing on enhancing social relations. The study builds on qualitative methods including participant observations combined with pre- and post-intervention interviews with a selected group of residents (n = 9). Data were thematically analyzed with focuses on participation in an everyday life context, concepts of othering, and territorial stigmatization. Engagement in the intervention was motivated by the need to establish and enhance social relations, and to explore the world outside the housing area. However, barriers including cultural and language differences among residents, and competing contextual factors, challenged engagement. We conclude that participatory community-based interventions have a potential to enhance social relations in deprived social housing areas. However, adequate support and efforts to overcome the identified barriers are needed.
Highlights
In recent decades, there has been an increasing focus on the significance of residential areas in terms of the effect on health, wellbeing and social relations [1,2,3]
Since the findings indicate different perspectives among residents of Danish and Turkish origin, it is recommended that future studies focus to a greater extent on ethnic differences regarding engagement in community-based health promotion interventions in deprived social housing areas
The findings of this study indicate the need for interventions addressing social cohesion and engagement across residents of different country of origin and native languages in order to ensure relevant health promotion interventions, and to “build bridges” between deprived social housing areas and the surrounding communities
Summary
There has been an increasing focus on the significance of residential areas in terms of the effect on health, wellbeing and social relations [1,2,3]. Residential areas with access to adequate housing, green spaces, formal and informal social and healthcare services, together with trusting and secure relationships with fellow residents, positively affect the health and wellbeing of residents through the course of life [1,2,4,5,6]. Social relations are essential to health and physical function, and successful social relations have a significant impact on both the physical and mental health and overall wellbeing of individuals [7,8]. Studies have demonstrated that the health and wellbeing. Public Health 2020, 17, 2341; doi:10.3390/ijerph17072341 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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