Connecting qualitative research on exercise and environment to public health agendas requires an equity lens

Coen, Stephanie E.

Abstract

In this commentary, I respond to the special section in Health & Place (vol. 46) on “Exercise and environment: new qualitative work to link popular practice and public health” edited by Hitchings and Latham. I argue that if qualitative research is to effectively inform public health policy and practice it cannot ignore the fact that physical activity participation is inequitable. Without building in a critical equity lens, geographers risk perpetuating the “inequality paradox”—that is, the potential for population health interventions to inadvertently exacerbate health inequalities. Related to this, I challenge the editors’ assumption that geographers’ critiques of public health approaches to physical activity and our applied efforts to foster physical activity participation are mutually exclusive endeavours. Rather, I argue they are mutually necessary within a social justice agenda. Finally, I close this commentary by offering ways forward for qualitative research on exercise and environment to connect with public health agendas and inform interventions.

Citation

Coen, S. E. (2018). Connecting qualitative research on exercise and environment to public health agendas requires an equity lens. Health and Place, 53, 264-267. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.005

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 13, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Nov 15, 2017
• Publication Date: 2018-09
• Deposit Date: Jan 22, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 16, 2019
• Journal: Health & Place
• Print ISSN: 1353-8292
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 53
• Pages: 264-267
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.005
• Keywords: Geography, Planning and Development; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Health(social science)
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1485236
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135382921730789X
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Connecting qualitative research on exercise and environment to public health agendas requires an equity lens; Journal Title: Health & Place; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.005; Content Type: simple-article; Copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.