A scoping review of photovoice studies concerning greenspaces and their impacts on health: Protocol.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review is to characterize the extent and nature of the available research on photovoice studies examining how greenspaces influence community health, and to identify community actions and advocacy arising from these participatory projects.

INTRODUCTION

Greenspaces have been shown to support physical, mental, and social health. Yet research often overlooks community perspectives, particularly in underrepresented environments such as arid regions. Photovoice enables individuals to document and reflect on their lived environments, providing unique insights into the relationships between greenspaces, health, and community wellbeing. Synthesizing photovoice studies that examine how greenspaces impact health across different ecosystems and landscape designs is essential to capture community-driven knowledge and outcomes, including initiatives that inform policy and practice.

INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will include primary studies employing photovoice methods with human participants, of any demographic or cultural background, that focus on greenspaces and associated health outcomes. Eligible studies may use qualitative or mixed-methods designs, provided photovoice is a core component. Quantitative-only studies, reviews, editorials, and those addressing distal health measures will be excluded.

METHODS

Searches will be conducted in electronic databases and relevant grey literature sources. No language restrictions will be applied, and the time frame will extend from January 1997, when photovoice was first described, to the present. Screening and data extraction will be conducted in duplicate using Covidence. Findings will be summarized descriptively and synthesized thematically, and confidence in key review findings will be assessed using the JBI Critical Assessment Tools.