Community perspectives on the environmental determinants of obesity in a low-income urban neighborhood: A participatory study in Istanbul
1
Department of Public Health/ Global Health Masters Program, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
2
Health services, Sultanbeyli District Health Directorate, Istanbul, Turkey
3
Department of Public Health/ School of Medicine, Koc university, Istanbul, Turkey
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3719
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In most low-income urban areas, the obesity rates are driven beyond individual choice and are shaped by surrounding environments. As part of the “IMPROVING EQUITY” (IM-EQ) project, a workshop was conducted to identify community perspectives on the surroundings/enablers, barriers, and gaps as conditions/situations that are considered determinants of obesity.
METHODS:
A community-based participatory workshop was conducted in a low-income neighborhood in Istanbul, following a shared protocol used across five countries. By using a “World Café” style, 13 volunteer citizens from various sectors engaged in facilitated discussions. The discussions focused on 4 thematic environments surrounding obesity: digital, food, social, and physical activity. Data were collected via post-it notes and moderator observations, followed by thematic analysis to prioritize community-defined insights and lived experiences.
RESULTS:
Participants revealed a complex interplay of factors across the 4 environments. 1) The digital environment showed that while facilitating access to exercise content and health information, it is dominated by misinformation, distrust in online nutrition advice, and a lack of locally relevant resources. 2) Food highlighted how the local market made access to fresh produce easy, yet major barriers like food safety concerns and aggressive marketing of unhealthy food were noted. 3) In the social part, family norms, restrictive gender roles, and weight-related stigma significantly limit healthy behavior change, particularly for girls and women. 4) Physical activity was characterized by insufficient safe public places and poor urban planning.
CONCLUSIONS:
These community perspectives frame obesity as more of a structurally produced condition shaped by intersecting environmental constraints. As stated by participants in a small post workshop feedback, the workshop was an empowering experience that heightened awareness of these influences and fostered critical thinking through a collaborative atmosphere. This participatory approach is essential for co-designing socially acceptable and effective obesity prevention strategies in low-resource contexts.
In most low-income urban areas, the obesity rates are driven beyond individual choice and are shaped by surrounding environments. As part of the “IMPROVING EQUITY” (IM-EQ) project, a workshop was conducted to identify community perspectives on the surroundings/enablers, barriers, and gaps as conditions/situations that are considered determinants of obesity.
METHODS:
A community-based participatory workshop was conducted in a low-income neighborhood in Istanbul, following a shared protocol used across five countries. By using a “World Café” style, 13 volunteer citizens from various sectors engaged in facilitated discussions. The discussions focused on 4 thematic environments surrounding obesity: digital, food, social, and physical activity. Data were collected via post-it notes and moderator observations, followed by thematic analysis to prioritize community-defined insights and lived experiences.
RESULTS:
Participants revealed a complex interplay of factors across the 4 environments. 1) The digital environment showed that while facilitating access to exercise content and health information, it is dominated by misinformation, distrust in online nutrition advice, and a lack of locally relevant resources. 2) Food highlighted how the local market made access to fresh produce easy, yet major barriers like food safety concerns and aggressive marketing of unhealthy food were noted. 3) In the social part, family norms, restrictive gender roles, and weight-related stigma significantly limit healthy behavior change, particularly for girls and women. 4) Physical activity was characterized by insufficient safe public places and poor urban planning.
CONCLUSIONS:
These community perspectives frame obesity as more of a structurally produced condition shaped by intersecting environmental constraints. As stated by participants in a small post workshop feedback, the workshop was an empowering experience that heightened awareness of these influences and fostered critical thinking through a collaborative atmosphere. This participatory approach is essential for co-designing socially acceptable and effective obesity prevention strategies in low-resource contexts.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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