Purpose: It is important to directly engage children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD) in health promotion research to ensure their health needs are met. Arts-based research methods may help CAWD better express their ideas; photo-elicitation is one such technique, using self-captured photographs to enhance verbal descriptions of complex concepts. This review 1) summarizes findings from health promotion studies using photo-elicitation with CAWD; 2) explores benefits and challenges of using photo-elicitation; 3) identifies recommended photo-elicitation practices.
Materials and methods: A scoping review was conducted using rapid review principles. Four health and social science databases were searched (2009-2019) using terms related to children, adolescents, disability, and photo-elicitation. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were summarized and analyzed thematically.
Results: Eight studies met inclusion criteria and explored a range of health promotion topics. Benefits of photo-elicitation included the ability to mediate communication and direct participants' focus. Challenges included difficulty operating a camera and understanding instructions about photograph subject matter. Four recommended practices were identified: 1) brainstorming photograph ideas; 2) photograph-taking training; 3) having CAWD select photographs for discussion; 4) limiting the number of photographs CAWD could capture.
Conclusions: Integrating practices to support CAWD in using photo-elicitation can help researchers more fully understand their health experiences.Implications for RehabilitationThere is a need to directly engage children and adolescents with disabilities to express themselves in health promotion research.The arts-based method of photo-elicitation may help children and adolescents with disabilities convey how they view and experience health.Children and adolescents with disabilities may need supports, including camera training, to participate in photo-elicitation.
Keywords: Health promotion; adolescents with disabilities; arts-based research; augmentative and alternative communication; children with disabilities; photo-elicitation.