A Community-Based Participatory Action Research for Roma Health Justice in a Deprived District in Spain

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 16; no. 19; p. 3722
• Main Authors: Miranda, Daniela E, Garcia-Ramirez, Manuel, Balcazar, Fabricio E, Suarez-Balcazar, Yolanda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.10.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Collaboration; Community involvement; Community participation; Community research; Community-Based Participatory Research - methods; Decision making; Ethnic factors; Ethnic Groups - psychology; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Genocide; Health care; Health disparities; Health Equity; Health Policy; Health Promotion - methods; Health research; Healthcare Disparities; Homeless people; Humans; Intolerance; Justice; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority Groups - psychology; Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data; Oppression; Participation; Participatory action research; Poverty; Racism; Resource allocation; Roma - psychology; Roma - statistics & numerical data; Romani people; Social Justice; Social Stigma; Social structure; Society; Spain; Traditions; Values; Spain; Europe; health inequities; antigypsyism; health justice; Roma; community-based participatory action research
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193722

Addressing health disparities and promoting health equity for Roma has been a challenge. The Roma are the largest disadvantaged ethnic minority population in Europe and have been the victims of deep social and economic injustices, institutional discrimination, and structural antigypsyism over many centuries. This has resulted in a much worse health status than their non-Roma counterparts. Current strategies based on ameliorative and top-down approaches to service delivery have resulted in paradoxical effects that solidify health disparities, since they do not effectively address the problems of vulnerable Roma groups. Following a health justice approach, we present a community-based participatory action research case study generated by a community and university partnership intended to address power imbalances and build collaboration among local stakeholders. This case study involved a group of health providers, Roma residents, researchers, Roma community organizations, and other stakeholders in the Poligono Sur, a neighborhood of Seville, Spain. The case study comprises four phases: (1) identifying Roma health assets, (2) empowering Roma community through sociopolitical awareness, (3) promoting alliances between Roma and community resources/institutions, and (4) building a common agenda for promoting Roma health justice. We highlighted best practices for developing processes to influence Roma health equity in local health policy agendas.