JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Social cohesion is associated with healthier behaviors and better health outcomes, and therefore may offer a mechanism for promoting better health. Low socioeconomic status communities face higher rates of chronic disease, due to both community and individual level factors. Therefore, this study aims to leverage social cohesion to promote healthier behaviors and prevent chronic disease in a low SES community. This protocol outlines the study methodology for a pilot study to assess the feasibility of an intervention (Free Time For Wellness, or FT4W) using a social networking platform (NextDoor) with mothers living in an urban, low-income community to improve social cohesion and to promote healthy behaviors. The study will involve three phases: I) co-designing the intervention with mothers in the neighborhoods of interest, II) implementing the intervention with community leaders through the social networking platform, and III) evaluating the intervention’s feasibility. Phase I of the study will include qualitative data collection and analysis from in-depth, semi-structured interviews and a co-design group session with mothers. Phases II and III of the study include a pre- and post-intervention survey of participating mothers. Neighborhood-level data on social cohesion will also be collected to enable comparison of outcomes between neighborhoods with higher and lower baseline social cohesion. Ultimately, this study aims to: 1) determine barriers and facilitators to finding free time for wellness among a population of low-income mothers in order to inform the co-design process, and 2) implement and study the feasibility of an intervention that leverages social cohesion to promote physical activity in a community of low-income mothers. The results of this study will provide preliminary feasibility evidence to inform a larger effectiveness trial, and will further our understanding of how social cohesion might influence wellbeing.