Proyecto SALUD: A Photovoice Study on the Behavioral Health of Latino Immigrant Men in Baltimore

Background and Purpose: Proyecto SALUD is a highly innovative photo-elicitation study aiming to explore the behavioral health risks of undocumented Latino immigrant men working in the informal labor economy in Baltimore. These highly vulnerable immigrant men experience significant workers’ rights abuses, victimization, economic instability, yet are often socially disconnected from health and social services. Proyecto SALUD elucidates the day to day lives of these immigrant men as they search for work, make ends meet, and navigate their behavioral health needs in Baltimore through photography and in-depth interviews.

Method: Through photo-elicitation methods, a strategy of community-based participatory research (CBPR), and focus groups, Latino immigrant men participants provided their perspectives regarding behavioral health. Using snowball sampling, all participants were recruited from street corners and worked in the informal labor economy in Baltimore and included, five men (ages 26-50) from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Honduras. On average, participants lived in Baltimore for 9 months. Data collection included the use of WhatsApp and photography as a form of daily diary to address prompts related to their social and work lives, community, and health. Community interviewers debriefed with participants regarding their photographs during the week and at the end of each of the two weeks of the study. Collectively, participants met to discuss their behavioral health needs through their photographs and selected photos that best exemplified the overall experiences of Latino immigrant men in Baltimore.

Results: Photos represent each of the six days of prompts the study participants responded to over two weeks. The first week of prompts focused on work and community. Participants took photos that represented a day in their lives at work, how they make ends meet, their daily lives in community, and how they connect with others. When talking about community, one participant stated, “There is no sense of normalcy or community.” Behavioral health needs were central to the second week of prompts, and participants took photos related to issues impacting their health, coping strategies in daily life, and where they receive support. When talking about the issues that impact their health, one participant stated, “It gives me stress – being worried about not finding employment and not being able to pay the bills.” Photographs, diaries, and dialogues of men will be presented in the presentation.

Conclusion and Implications: The project culminated in an exhibition showcasing participant photographs chosen by participants themselves. Study participants, community members, and community stakeholders attended. Researchers facilitated a discussion between the participants and community stakeholders about the challenges they face accessing social services and recommendations on improving the social service infrastructure in Baltimore. Findings have implications for showcasing the potential public impact of an innovative photo-elicitation daily diary based study centering a hard-to-reach and socially vulnerable group of immigrant men.