A View Through a Different Lens: Photovoice as a Tool for Student Advocacy

Abstract

To complement National College Health Assessment data and to further assess student lives and health needs, staff at the Rutgers University Health Services' Department of Health Education used a participatory research method called photovoice. Using this methodology, health care professionals provided a discrete and tangible way for students to feel empowered, as the students conducted the project themselves, collecting data using photography, analyzing the results qualitatively, and meeting with policy makers to discuss their photos and offer recommendations for change. Policy recommendations addressed issues of safety, nutrition, sexual health information, alcohol and drugs, and campus parking. In this article, the authors offer a description of this process as another tool for assessment and advocacy.