Research Impact
Overall, there is evidence suggesting that taking a participatory research approach is beneficial to the development of a workplace health promotion intervention and a key component of its success. A benefit was observed with positive improvements in physical activity and reductions in sedentary behaviour across the studies. The main reasons cited in the included studies were that, by taking a participatory research approach, the participants’ opinions and lived experiences were included, which ensured that the intervention was suitable for the workplace and, ultimately, feasible and acceptable to the end users and relevant stakeholders.
The degree of engagement and power that was shared with end users was evaluated to be low, with 25% (2/8) of the studies determined to be nonparticipation studies and 25% (2/8) determined to be tokenistic in how the end users were involved in conceiving and designing the workplace health promotion studies.
What is Participatory Research?
Participatory research incorporates the knowledge and expertise of the end users and relevant stakeholders, thereby increasing the relevance of the research. It has been described by Jagosh et al. (2012) as the co-construction of research among people affected by the issues under study and researchers, stakeholders, and decision makers who have the capacity to apply the research findings.
A defining characteristic of participatory research is the degree of engagement and power shared with the end users during the different stages of the research process and decision-making, more so than the methods and techniques used. Therefore, participatory processes are actively applied to shift ownership and control of the research process toward the end user community. This leads to a more equitable and democratised decision-making process to facilitate the shift in knowledge leadership and support community ownership of the research process and developed intervention.
Rationale for this Scoping Review:
Prior to this review, the use of participatory research in workplace health promotion studies had not been investigated and this examination of how participatory research is currently undertaken within studies can help to identify (1) the available evidence, (2) key approaches and methods, and (3) the scope of reported impacts of participatory research on the primary outcomes, which in this instance was to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour.
What are the Key Recommendations for Researchers Looking to Take a Participatory Research Approach?
Researchers should step outside the “normal” confines of research and share power and resources and develop capacity within their relevant community and end users to allow them to appropriately engage in all stages of the research process. This could be in the form of a larger number of participatory workshops (≥3 meetings), earlier engagement with end users to help conceptualise a suitable intervention that addresses their identified health priorities, and training and involvement in all aspects of the research process to increase the capacity of the included end users.
Buffey, A.J., Langley, C.K., Carson, B.P., Donnelly, A.E. and Salsberg, J. (2024) Participatory Approaches in the Context of Research Into Workplace Health Promotion to Improve Physical Activity Levels and Reduce Sedentary Behavior Among Office-Based Workers: Scoping Review. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 10(1), p.e50195. DOI: 10.2196/50195. Open Access: https://publichealth.jmir.org/2024/1/e50195.
Contact: Aidan.Buffey@ul.ie.
Follow on X/Twitter: @AidanBuffey.
Research Profiles:
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aidan-Buffey
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1940-1483
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-buffey-501123145/
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