In Brief

The Challenge

The World Health Organization has identified health literacy as a critical determinant of health, and has advocated for schools to educate young people about health, aiming at both behavioural and social change. Disadvantaged groups are more likely to have limited health literacy, and therefore improving health literacy can help reduce health inequalities. The Post-Primary Wellbeing Framework aligns with this vision, but school communities need support in understanding and impacting the health strengths, needs and wants of young people in Ireland. 

The Solution

By supporting the development of health literacy in adolescence, we can be proactive in providing a foundation for positive lifelong health. 

Photovoice+ will integrate traditional photovoice methodology with state of the art digital technology to disrupt, transform and support the way we understand and promote young people’s health literacy, and ultimately their health and wellbeing. Over the next 18 months, we will work with stakeholders to co-design a digital application that can a) generate knowledge of young people’s lived experiences of health literacy and b) be used as an educational tool to support the development of young people’s health literacy. 

The Team 

  • Team Lead: Dr Hannah Goss, Dublin City University  
  • Team Co-Lead: Prof. Alan Smeaton, Dublin City University  

Societal Impact Champion  

  • Talent Nyamakope, Dublin City Council