Research and community engagement concerning the gut–brain axis require an understanding of the concepts, experiences and practices through which people already interpret relationships among food, digestion, bodily strength, health, emotion and thought.

This study explores local understandings of gut health, the body, and wellbeing in Soweto, South Africa. The study is designed to privilege participants’ own terminology and explanatory frameworks.

By examining people’s lived experiences, beliefs, and health practices, the research aims to provide insights into how communities understand factors that may influence both physical and mental wellbeing.

The study treats the boundaries and meanings of “the gut” as empirical questions, rather than imposing the biomedical concept at the outset. This is particularly important for GIBA-A.

The research team hopes to conduct a total of 50 semi-structured in-depth interviews.

The GIBA-Africa Network is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and Innovation‐ National Research Foundation (DSTI‐NRF) Centre of Excellence in Human Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

The researchers hope to publish results in 2027.