Participatory action research within the communitybased intervention project ‘Wijkgezondheidswerk’
In 1999, the Municipal Health Service (MHS) in Eindhoven started the community-based intervention project ‘Wijkgezondheidswerk’ in two deprived neighbourhoods. The aim of the project was to reduce socialeconomic inequalities in health. To achieve this aim, the MHS, in collaboration with organisations working in the neighbourhoods, initiated several activities with and for inhabitants. ZonMw provided funding for the accompanying research activities. The Wageningen University carried out the participatory action research during three years, up to 2002. The project has been succesful in establishing intersectoral collaboration and initiating community participation. Although ‘Wijkgezondheidswerk’ started top-down, during the program it became more and more bottom-up. The participatory action research enabled to deal with problems at the start of the project, to continue the project and to attune programme practice and research. Participatory action research can be seen as an intervention which facilitates intersectoral collaboration and community participation, thereby gerenerating social support.