{
  "abstract": "Adolescents’ immediate environments, including their homes, schools, and neighbourhoods, have a significant impact on their behaviour, health and development. Fostering adolescents’ agency and empowerment can drive environmental and behavioural changes that can lead to improved health outcomes and reduced disparities in current and future generations. The objective of the study was to pilot and evaluate the implementation of a “by the people” citizen science method (the Our Voice method), engaging adolescent high school learners in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa in promoting healthy and active lifestyles and environments. Sixty-six high school adolescents of both genders between the ages of 13–18 years old were purposively recruited from 6 high schools in Cape Town, located in places of low or middle/high socioeconomic areas (SEA), as citizen scientists. The citizen scientists and some caregivers were interviewed via telephone. Citizen scientists also used a mobile application to collect data in their immediate environments to identify barriers to healthy eating, physical activity, hygiene, and safety. Data were audio-recorded, downloaded, and transcribed. In facilitated workshops, citizen scientists analysed the data and proffered solutions to the barriers, advocated change, and thereafter implemented relevant health promoting changes. Demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements of the adolescents were also collected. Overall, similar barriers were experienced by adolescents regardless of SEA. However, lower socioeconomic status areas were a significant contributor of barriers to physical inactivity and unhealthy eating, safety, and hygiene. The buy-in and participation of adolescents and the school authority in the intervention to promote healthy lifestyles and environments is imperative. The Our Voice method was found to be a promising multi-layered tool for empowering adolescents as advocates in promoting feasible healthy and active lifestyle and environmental changes.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle & Sport, Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa",
    "IMS Epidemiology, Institute of Metabolic Science, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom",
    "Department of Sport Management, Centre for Sport Business and Technology Research (CSBTR), Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa",
    "Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Department of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "School of Health, Psychological and Medical Sciences, and Institute for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Feyisayo A. Wayas"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Namhla Matwa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sacha West"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Abby C. King"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Tolu Oni"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Estelle V. Lambert"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6g95sxa60h11z.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pgph.0007141",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007141",
  "id": "6g95sxa60h11z",
  "issns": [
    "2767-3375"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007141",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3600|Adolescent Health and Behaviors"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive science/Cognitive psychology/Learning/Human learning"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Learning and memory/Learning/Human learning"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Nutrition"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Nutrition/Diet/Food"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Recreation/Sports"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Learning/Human learning"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Sports science/Sports"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Health care/Health education and awareness"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Nutrition"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Nutrition/Diet/Food"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Hygiene"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Age groups/Children/Adolescents"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Families/Children/Adolescents"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Behavior/Recreation/Sports"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Learning/Human learning"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Sociology/Education/Schools"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7206189471",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007141&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-02",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6g95sxa60h11z.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pgph.0007141",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007141"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:nutrition",
      "subfield": "nutrition"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Adolescent-led Our Voice method to promote healthy and active lifestyles and environments in South Africa",
  "title_text": "Adolescent-led Our Voice method to promote healthy and active lifestyles and environments in South Africa",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6g95sxa60h11z",
  "venue": "PLOS Global Public Health",
  "versions": []
}