Lifestyles Management And Community Engagement In Scoping A "Health Cafe"

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to underpin a scoping study commissioned by community leaders to assess the potential for creating a "health cafe" in the centre of Boston, in eastern England, UK, to facilitate healthier lifestyles.Design/methodology/approach - A mixed methods and framework analytic approach was adopted, using documentary, focus group, interview and survey data. The paper drew on social marketing principles to enhance the community relevance of findings.Findings - Community stakeholders and public were generally supportive of a "health cafe" facility in the town centre. Accessibility and a welcoming environment were seen as key factors. A wide range of health-related services in addition to providing healthy foods were proposed. Key issues identified were: a wider role of the facility as a community "health hub"; appropriate marketing approaches; food provision issues and sustainability. All groups contacted saw the word "health" as off-putting.Research limitations/implications - As with many commissioned scoping studies, the timetable for delivery was very short, just three months, significantly influencing the choices of methodological approaches taken up. This made it important to provide a multi-disciplinary multi-methods design to enhance triangulation and a research team with extensive community research experience including previous research in this region. It was also important to specify and locate any knowledge claims from the findings.Practical implications - The research helped engage community stakeholders to tap a diversity of views which could be adopted by community leaders into their ongoing health strategies and development plans for a "health hub" for Boston.Originality/value - The paper provides important information for those embarking on community health education projects and particularly in how to tailor health research methods to real-world timescales and stakeholder perspectives. Insights are also provided into community attitudes, understandings and behaviours towards healthy living in a part of the UK with a well-documented history of poor health.