Thirty Years of Implementing the Photovoice Method: Insights From a Review of Reviews

Abstract

As the use of the photovoice method has proliferated over the past three decades, several literature reviews have been conducted about implementing the method in the context of health promotion research and practice. Challenges emerged from the literature frequently enough to be reported in several reviews. As such, the purpose of this “review of reviews” was to identify and describe the various challenges to implementing photovoice as reported in published literature reviews. Taken together, the sum of the reviews’ critiques about photovoice may be of particular use for developing solutions regarding challenges that limit the utility and outcomes of the method. The literature reviews included in this study were identified using PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and backward/forward chaining. The final 15 review articles included in the study were analyzed for the challenges of implementing photovoice described in each review. Four major themes emerged from the reviews: (1) inconsistent adherence to the photovoice method, (2) inconsistent evaluation of photovoice outcomes and impacts, (3) implementation challenges with specific populations, and (4) inconsistent reporting and adherence to ethical procedures. For those conducting photovoice projects in the future, the implications of the findings include maximizing participant engagement in the project from start to finish, evaluating photovoice projects for effectiveness in producing community change, and reporting ethical procedures.