Physical activity and citizen science : two case studies from Flanders (Belgium)

Korte inhoud:As the majority of the adolescent and adult population is insufficiently physically active and highly sedentary, the promotion of regular physical activity and less sedentary behavior is a key public health priority. This requires the development and implementation of effective communication strategies on physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines to the general public. The most popular media for physical activity guidelines communication include policy documents, infographics, and mass media campaigns. Also more tailored health messages through m- and e-health have gained popularity. Another emerging and promising approach is communication through citizen science. The EU Citizen Science platform defines citizen science as “any activity that involves the public in scientific research and thus has the potential to bring together science, policy makers, and society as a whole in an impactful way”. Citizen science has been shown an effective way to reach and engage very large audiences, also in the field of public health. It may go beyond raising awareness by leveraging the power of the public as change agents in promoting health-enhancing conditions and potentially produce population health benefits. It may consequently be a better strategy to use mass media communication to promote citizen science participation. This chapter focuses on two health communication initiatives in relation to physical activity using a citizen science approach. The first case, the totem animal survey, focuses on a citizen science mass-experiment based on a playful online survey giving tailored messages about the users’ physical activity and sitting time. For this case we analyze the reach of this campaign and show that citizen science as part of a national science event is a good platform to communicate public health guidelines. In the second case we elaborate on the potential of the Bike Barometer platform, a novel approach to monitor home-to-school travel behavior of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. This platform provides critical feedback for policymakers (input regarding cycling safety), citizens (voice in mobility policy), and scientists (access to a huge dataset).

ISBN:9783110775426

Jaar van publicatie:2025

Toegankelijkheid:Closed