Co-evaluating health messages through inclusive participatory judging and validation: A public involvement study in Tanzania’s eye health education programme
- 1Queen’s University Belfast, University Rd, BT7 1NN, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
- 2University of Dodoma Medical School, Dodoma, Tanzania
- 3Vision Care Foundation, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Abstract
Background: Public involvement in health communication design is becoming increasingly important for creating messages that are inclusive, trusted, culturally resonant and equitable; however, little is known about how communities, including persons with disabilities can take active roles in judging and validating creative health education materials in low-resource settings.
Objective: To explore how inclusive participatory judging and validation can support meaningful community involvement in developing arts-based eye health education materials in Tanzania and to examine participants’ experiences of contributing to these processes.
Methods: A participatory action research (PAR) study using mixed methods to evaluate a nationwide competition that invited local artists to produce short animations and voice dramas to tell key eye health messages. A total of 14 community judges and 17 validation workshop participants assessed submissions using 10 criteria and later validated the top three entries for message inclusion, comprehension and effectiveness.
Results: The involvement of various local stakeholders enabled comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the artworks. Recommendations included improving accessibility using subtitles, sign language and clearer visuals. Participants suggested artwork should better reflect the realities of Tanzanian life to enhance their cultural relevance. The participatory judging and validation processes fostered a sense of inclusivity and ownership of the intervention in the community, with judges reporting feeling confident, valued and comfortable.
Conclusions: Participatory judging and validation offered an inclusive and empowering approach to public involvement in health communication design. Beyond improving message quality, these processes fostered dialogue, shared decision-making and community ownership – demonstrating a transferable model for co-producing culturally grounded health education in low- and middle-income settings.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-026-01519-9.
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BibTeX
@article{haraburda2026coevaluating,
title = {{Co-evaluating health messages through inclusive participatory judging and validation: A public involvement study in Tanzania’s eye health education programme}},
author = {Asia Haraburda and Frank Sandi and Careen Erick and Christine Sifael and Eden Mashayo and Ving Fai Chan},
journal = {Health Research Policy and Systems},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12961-026-01519-9},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-026-01519-9},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Co-evaluating health messages through inclusive participatory judging and validation: A public involvement study in Tanzania’s eye health education programme
AU - Asia Haraburda
AU - Frank Sandi
AU - Careen Erick
AU - Christine Sifael
AU - Eden Mashayo
AU - Ving Fai Chan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/07
JO - Health Research Policy and Systems
DO - 10.1186/s12961-026-01519-9
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-026-01519-9
AB - Background: Public involvement in health communication design is becoming increasingly important for creating messages that are inclusive, trusted, culturally resonant and equitable; however, little is known about how communities, including persons with disabilities can take active roles in judging and validating creative health education materials in low-resource settings. Objective: To explore how inclusive participatory judging and validation can support meaningful community involvement in developing arts-based eye health education materials in Tanzania and to examine participants’ experiences of contributing to these processes. Methods: A participatory action research (PAR) study using mixed methods to evaluate a nationwide competition that invited local artists to produce short animations and voice dramas to tell key eye health messages. A total of 14 community judges and 17 validation workshop participants assessed submissions using 10 criteria and later validated the top three entries for message inclusion, comprehension and effectiveness. Results: The involvement of various local stakeholders enabled comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the artworks. Recommendations included improving accessibility using subtitles, sign language and clearer visuals. Participants suggested artwork should better reflect the realities of Tanzanian life to enhance their cultural relevance. The participatory judging and validation processes fostered a sense of inclusivity and ownership of the intervention in the community, with judges reporting feeling confident, valued and comfortable. Conclusions: Participatory judging and validation offered an inclusive and empowering approach to public involvement in health communication design. Beyond improving message quality, these processes fostered dialogue, shared decision-making and community ownership – demonstrating a transferable model for co-producing culturally grounded health education in low- and middle-income settings. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-026-01519-9.
SN - 1478-4505
ER -