Participatory Action Research in Health Promotion in the Philippines: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community-Based Research
• Health Equity

Background:

• Health promotion requires multifaceted strategies addressing individual, social, and environmental factors.
• Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a community-centered approach to knowledge generation for health promotion.
• The utilization of PAR in health promotion within the Philippine context requires further exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map and analyze literature on PAR in Philippine health promotion.
• To identify and categorize levels of community participation in PAR initiatives.
• To evaluate the influence of health equity principles on PAR methodologies.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following established protocols.
• Searches conducted in PubMed, HERDIN, and Google Scholar.
• Analysis guided by the Health Equity Framework and the Ladder of Participation.

Main Results:

• 12 articles were analyzed from an initial 452.
• Engaging community leaders and advocacy groups proved effective for collaboration.
• PAR identified health system gaps, particularly for vulnerable populations, leading to tailored interventions and improved well-being.

Conclusions:

• PAR is a robust approach for addressing health inequities through community-driven research.
• PAR empowers communities to shape relevant and effective health interventions.
• Findings support developing global guidelines for PAR in health promotion and advancing health equity.