Principal Investigator
![Yanis Ben Amor](/sites/default/files/styles/cu_crop/public/content/NYC/PGIF/2019/Bio%20Pics/Yanis%20Ben%20Amor/Yanis-Ben-Amor-PGIF.png?itok=3ReW57e7)
Project Description
This project aims to use a community-based participatory research approach to explore and promote use of digital technologies among young refugees to improve their access to health information and services in Turkey. The project will kick-off with a stakeholder workshop in Istanbul to discuss current problems and solutions regarding health literacy and health care access issues among refugees, with a gender-sensitive approach. The project team (PI, Co-PI, two collaborating researchers, and graduate students of Columbia University and Istanbul University), will then conduct a qualitative photovoice study with 40 young refugees in Istanbul, in addition to in-depth interviews with 10 refugee health workers and 10 health policy makers to assess the current trends and gender-specific needs for digital tools including mobile apps, websites etc. to access health information and services among refugees. The initial findings of the photovoice study will be shared and awareness on using digital health technologies for health promotion will be raised among relevant stakeholders through a photo exhibition and a panel. The international project team will then analyze all qualitative data in more depth, taking into consideration gender, education, socioeconomic status and other social determinants of health and prepare short reports, international conference papers and international journal articles to disseminate the findings and recommendations to the international scientific community and relevant stakeholders in Turkey. During the two-year period, the research team will also organize workshops, panels and research capacity building trainings on refugee health promotion and participatory research methods for medical and public health students in Turkey.