Photovoice versus focus groups: a comparative study of qualitative health research techniques.

Objective: To compare, from an empirical point of view, the use of focus group and photovoice as we conducted two studies on food environment in neighbourhoods with different socio-economic profiles.

Method: The European project Heart Healthy Hoods studied the association between the physical and social environment of Madrid (Spain) and the cardiovascular health of its residents. Two ancillary studies were developed to further expand the study of urban health inequalities using focus group and photovoice.

Can we improve our neighbourhoods to be more physically active? Residents' perceptions from a qualitative urban health inequalities study.

The objective of our study was to identify neighbourhood factors which prevent and encourage physical activity, according to the residents' perspective. We used qualitative methods, conducting 37 semi-structured interviews and 29 focus groups. The main results were that the type of physical activity that took place in every neighbourhood was different; access to sports facilities varied due to prices and safety issues; garbage and obstacles on sidewalks were a serious limitation to physical activity; economic instability had an impact on physical activity.

Urban environment and dietary behaviours as perceived by residents living in socioeconomically diverse neighbourhoods: A qualitative study in a Mediterranean context.

Scholars have determined that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviours and that local food environments shape food inequality. Less is known about how residents' perceptions of their food environment affect their dietary behaviours. We conducted 37 semistructured interviews and 29 focus groups in three socioeconomically distinct neighbourhoods in Madrid.

Qualitative examination of the perceived effects of a comprehensive smoke-free law according to neighborhood socioeconomic status in a large city.

Smoke-free legislations aim to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and improve population health outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore residents' perceptions to understand how people living in distinctive SES neighborhoods are differently affected by comprehensive smoke-free laws in a large city like Madrid, Spain. We conducted a qualitative project with 37 semi-structured interviews and 29 focus group discussions in three different SES neighborhoods within the city of Madrid.