A community-based project allowing 13 Los Angeles minority high school students to identify and photograph images they felt influenced health behaviors showed that obesity, stress and family were among their highest concerns.

The photovoice project, sponsored by the UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, provided digital still cameras for students to capture images they felt influenced health behaviors in their communities, including Culver City, Boyle Heights, Mayfair, the King/Drew area and Burbank.

Photovoice is a technique that allows people to document self-identified images that often hold special meaning, and to develop the skills necessary to generate and communicate feelings evoked by the pictures.

"Our findings were somewhat surprising and interesting," said Dr. Jonathan Necheles, project leader, UCLA Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and clinical instructor of pediatrics at UCLA's Mattel Children’s Hospital. "What they see is different than what we see."

For example, the teenagers -- recognizing that obesity was a major issue -- took photos reflecting that "bad, unhealthy" foods were more readily available in their communities than "good, fresh" foods.

Necheles added that the teenagers also honed in on stress as a major health factor. He noted that their photos documented things that cause stress -- such as traffic, school, homework and pollution -- rather than ways to relieve stress, such as exercising.

The most surprising outcome was that the youths centered many of their photos on the theme of positive influences and things that made them happy, such as family, relationships and emotions.

One student participant said, "There are so many photos I liked, but I really tried to capture the relaxing moments in our lives, despite the rare occurrence of these -- these are those moments where you forget about life's problems."

As part of the project, the group created a print campaign selecting photos from the more than 3,600 pictures taken. The resulting advocacy pieces focused on the imbalance of nutritional options available in their community; activities that both increased and decreased stress; and images associated with promoting -- or lessening -- stress in the school setting.

The photography posters are on exhibit July 27-Aug. 31 at the Los Angeles California Science Center.

"By working with the youth, instead of just giving them a survey to ask them what influences their health behaviors, researchers and community members can share in the process," said Necheles. "The photovoice project empowers the teenagers to make changes for themselves, and allows them to share in the process of social change and improving health in their communities."

Detailed results of the UCLA/RAND researchers' photovoice study will be available this fall.

For more information on the project and to see the posters and photographs, click on the Teen Photovoice link at www.rand.org/health/adol.html.

The UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion is a collaboration between the UCLA School of Public Health, the UCLA Department of Pediatrics, RAND and community partners. The center conducts community-based participatory research, develops programs, disseminates findings, and provides education and training related to adolescent health promotion.