Asthma Disparity Photovoice: The Discourses of Black Adolescent and Public Health Policymakers.
BACKGROUND
Policies in U.S. public schools that address asthma management for Black adolescents may not sufficiently transform sociocultural determinants of disparities. A critical analysis of public health policy maker and adolescent discourses on asthma management using an ecological framework could inform policy development. This study describes the discourses of asthma management disparities of school and other public health policymakers and Black adolescents with asthma during a statewide asthma planning activity.


METHOD
I conducted a qualitative critical discourse analysis on transcripts and phototexts from a photovoice project with Black adolescents with asthma (n = 19), an asthma-planning meeting with school and public health policymakers (n = 12), and an observation of a photovoice dissemination event that included the same adolescents and policymakers.


RESULTS
Policymakers did not discuss sociocultural discourses concerning asthma management disparities such as racism and discrimination, but the adolescents did. The only shared discourses between adolescents and policymakers were on the management of indoor environments, health care quality, inadequate housing, and outdoor air pollution.


CONCLUSIONS
Including Black adolescents in policymaking activities concerning asthma management disparities furthers the identification of differing and shared discourses. School policies should include multilevel strategies that address structural inequities. Photovoice presents an opportunity for including the voice of marginalized youth in policy-planning processes.
['Evans-Agnew|Robin Andrew|RA|']
D000293:Adolescent D001741:African Americans D001249:Asthma D005260:Female D054624:Health Status Disparities D006801:Humans D008297:Male D019370:Observation D010781:Photography D011050:Policy Making D011634:Public Health D036301:Qualitative Research D063505:Racism D012574:Schools D012923:Social Class D014861:Washington
photovoice public health policy development adolescent asthma health status disparities qualitative research