Una ricerca-intervento in un quartiere ad alta concentrazione di locali notturni: attivare il territorio per identificare bisogni e risorse

Health promotion, as a state of well-being beyond the absence of illness, ecological approach and participation are some of community psychology keystones (Amerio, 2000; Santinello et al., 2009). Processes that enhance people’s control over their own health are crucial for health promotion initiatives (Carta di Ottawa, OMS, 1986; Dahlgren & Whitehead,1991; Goodstadt et al., 2001). Participatory research, in its multiple forms, aims to activate and sustain such processes involving those affected by the issue in order to intervene and effectively modify social and contextual conditions people live in (Cargo & Mercer, 2008), as they are fundamental determinants of people’s well-being and quality of life (Tarlov & St Peter, 1999). The article offers a theoretical perspective on participatory processes to promote health in local communities. As a completion to theoretical considerations, we describe the process of an action-research in a neighborhood in the city of Milan, in which the high concentration of nightlife settings strongly impacts on residents’ quality of life.