Equal health- Health promotion in collaboration

Project description

As a way to reduce existing inequalities in health, the Collaborative Innovations for Health Promotion programme started in 2016. The initiative was a community-based participatory and challenge-driven research programme that aimed to create new ways to improve health through participatory and cooperative strategies in a health promotion program placed in a neighbourhood, Lindängen with about 7,800 residents, of which approximately 75 percent are first- and second-generation migrants.

The multi-stakeholder perspective and active involvement of local residents in the planning phase was essential to ensure community-driven processes adapted to local needs and circumstances. A total of 14 organisations and companies were involved in financing and contributing to the programme, while the Swedish national innovation agency Vinnova contributed with half of the funding (8,6 SKR).

Factors identified using a CBPR model for strategic planning together with citizens were physical activities in the area; self-care of, for instance, oral health; mental health; health literacy and safe environments. Lay health promoters living in the area were recruited to work with citizens, mobilise, coordinate activities and make contact with different actors. six co-creative health-promoting labs that were designed:

• Oral health and food
• Outdoor gym and Fitness Justice
• Mental health (for people with disabilities)
• Women’s health
• Social health for young adults
• Safety in the area.

Each of the labs had a different aim but a common approach was adopted for community engagement across the activities. Ph. D researchers working with local health promotors and citizens in the labs.

Project Women´s Health, focuses on a CBPR intervention with migrant women from Middle East with a participatory method called story dialogues and qualitative interviews with stakeholders and health care professionals who work with migrant women. In step 2, there is a collaboration with primary care and Novonordisk in their Citizen health program for health promotion to increase diabetes II with CBPR educational interventions to increase health literacy.

Project Physical Health focuses on a CBPR intervention called fitness justice in a mixed-method approach with a longitudinal evaluation and measuring quality of life and health outcomes with biomedical devices, also during Covid 19 pandemic.

Project Oral Health and Nutrition focuses on a CBPR intervention for migrant families and different stakeholders working with culture circles to promote obesity and oral health problems by reducing sugar and developing new material for health literacy.

An idea-based public partnership (IOP)

The municipal board in Malmö decided in June 2023 to run the program as an idea-based public partnership (IOP). Partners are Malmö University (HS/VV) Save the Children and Malmö City (social care, culture/leisure departments) with contributions from housing companies through Stiftelsen Momentum. The program is trademark-protected and the model is subject to distribution nationally and internationally. In addition to doctoral CBPR projects where doctoral students work with locally employed health promoters, evaluation is ongoing with self-assessment measures of health, social sustainability and qualitative focus groups. The workshops are mainly focused on oral health/nutrition, social health, children's/young people's health, and women's health where physical activity and yoga are included. Learning the Swedish language and computer and internet training is also part of the labs activities.