The Fruits and The Limitations of Seoul’s Community-Based Participatory Health Program of “Building Healthy Communities”

Abstract

Citizen participation has two traditions: one is participation in planning and decision making, and the other is participation as the part of health service providing. The Seoul Health Ecosystem Initiative is mainly characterized as a participatory project involving community-based organizations (CBOs) and activists. The initiative is also based on these two traditions and is an attempt to overcome them. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of this initiative with a view to enhancing the role of CBOs as a platform for community participation. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for the evaluation in the 9 communities where the initiative were carried out. Two separate quantitative surveys were conducted; 1) among 119 participants and age and gender matched 256 non-participants and among 37 activists or public health center officers. For qualitative study, investigation of document data, interviews with 18 activists or participants from 9 communities, and interviews with stakeholders were also carried out. The quantitative survey showed that the participants had higher level of social capital such as community participation and trust than non-participating residents. Results from activists or public health center officers also showed that the principle of community participation was being settled and public-private cooperation was being developed in the communities. The qualitative survey showed that communities strengthened community empowerment and built new community organizations (health committees) through health ecosystem projects.