Outdoor health intervention for refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers: A mixed-methods pilot study

Abstract

Despite the multifaceted and diverse challenges that refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers experience when entering a new country, they remain notably underrepresented in the evaluation and understanding of the health and wellbeing impacts of outdoor health interventions. We addressed this knowledge gap by a mixed-methods evaluation (questionnaires, focus groups and photo elicitation activity) facilitated by a community researcher. Qualitative data (focus groups and photo elicitation activity) revealed that the participants saw the social component of outdoor activities as a critical factor in improving their wellbeing, an insight not captured by established quantitative wellbeing scales. Given the diverse backgrounds of refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeker populations, we underline the importance of a transdisciplinary, collaborative, and mixed-methods research approach.