Mariana Pinto Alvarez's International Study Portrays Perspectives of Older Adults in Colombia Through Photos

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Health Promotion and Policy doctoral candidate Mariana Pinto Alvarez helped guide an international collaboration between UMass and political and educational leaders in Bogota, Colombia, aimed at showcasing the experience of older adults in different socioeconomic groups through the photographs they take. 

The study, part of Alvarez’s dissertation, focused on how these individuals experience aging, belonging, and mental well-being within the city’s socially stratified environment. Alvarez used a research methodology called Photovoice to share stories of under-represented or issue-affected groups through photos as a participatory tool to promote reflection, empowerment, and policy dialogue around these issues. 

“I chose this topic because I feel that older adults are not always valued or listened to as much as they should be,” Alvarez, a native Colombian, said. “When I reviewed the evidence, I learned that older adults in Bogotá face serious mental health challenges, including a high risk of suicide. Colombia also has important problems related to pensions, accessibility, social protection, and quality of life in later life.” 

To conduct her study, Alvarez asked adults between the ages of 60 and 89 to take photographs documenting their experiences, perspectives, challenges, and sources of meaning. In total, 26 participants submitted more than 700 photos. Of those, 101 were chosen for the culminating event. 

On August 13 and 14, 2026. Alvarez teamed up with the Bogotá District Health Secretariat to host “Your Story Matters” (“Tu historia importa"), an exhibit showcasing the participants’ photos and stories.  

The event, which brought together representatives from the Bogotá City Council, the Office of the Ombudsman, the District Health Secretariat, and universities in Bogotá, including Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, took place at the San Juan de Dios Hospital Complex, a site of great significance in Colombian history and home to the country’s first hospital. 

Alvarez's entire dissertation fieldwork—including participant recruitment, Photovoice activities, data collection, and the final exhibition—was made possible with funding from the Dissertation Fieldwork Grant awarded by the UMass Amherst Graduate School. 

“Seeing the final exhibition made me feel very happy, proud, and emotional,” Alvarez said. “What touched me the most was seeing how happy and proud they were to share their work with their families and other visitors.”