Witnesses to Hunger: Methods for Photovoice and Participatory Action Research in Public Health

Food insecurity is an under-recognized public health crisis in the United States affecting 19.5 percent of households with children and 35.4 percent of female-headed households with children. In 2013, approximately 15.8 million children (21.4%) lived in households that reported food insecurity, and 8.5 million children (23.7%) under age six lived in food insecure households. Lack of public attention and recent decisions by policymakers to cut nutrition assistance programs call into question current efforts to raise awareness and communicate about hunger and its public health impacts. As one contribution, we describe the methods of Witnesses to Hunger, a photovoice and participatory action research model of collaboration with low-income caregivers of young children who participate in nutrition assistance programs and offer solutions to public health professionals, policymakers, and journalists.