Exploring Creole women’s health using ethnography and Photovoice in Bluefields, Nicaragua

Abstract

Bluefields, Nicaragua is the largest city in the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), and home to communities of Nicaragua’s six ethnic groups. Photovoice research techniques were used in this ethnographic study to explore the health experiences of Creole women. After participating in focus groups to discuss women’s health, 12 Creole women took photographs to describe their health experiences. The researcher then interviewed them about what each picture meant, and participants selected photos for a community-wide exhibition in Bluefields. Photos and narratives were analyzed to construct a description of the cultural context in which Creole women experienced health. One of the greatest women’s health concerns reported was that participants believed the younger generation was losing touch with Creole culture, putting them at risk of disease and illness. For participants, photos were a way to document Creole traditions of healing, traditions in the Creole home, and environmental health concerns.