Spaces of participation: Exploring the characteristics of conducive environments for citizen participation in a community-based health promotion initiative in a disadvantaged neighborhood.

Abstract

Research has shown that community participation in health programmes is vital to ensure positive health outcomes and sustainable solutions. This is often challenged by difficulties to engage socially disadvantaged population groups. Through ethnographic fieldwork in a community initiative in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark, we explored which factors contributed to a conducive environment for participation. Data material consists of observation notes taken during fieldwork in a community hub from January 2020 until August 2021 and 19 semi-structured interviews with professional stakeholders and participants. We applied the analytical concept of space to elucidate how the organizational, social, and physical environments played important roles in ensuring possibilities for participation. We termed these environments Spaces of Participation. Our results highlight the importance of ensuring spaces that are flexible, informal, and responsive when engaging those who are hard to reach.