Community perceptions and children’s environmental health in potentially contaminated sites in Southern Mexico: a mixed methods study

Children’s health is especially vulnerable in contexts where traditional and emerging environmental risks coexist. Potentially contaminated sites (PCS) pose significant threats, and their identification should incorporate community perception and participation for improved characterization. Ticul, a Mayan community in Yucatan, Mexico, is home to children living in poverty and exposed to unrecognized chemical hazards associated with artisanal production processes. This mixed methods study aimed to explore parents’ perceptions regarding environmental health risks to children, describe environmental factors at the community, household, and indoor levels, and explore their potential relationship with the health of children residing near PCS. Social mapping, focus groups, and participant observation were conducted with parents. Potentially contaminated sites were prioritized using PAHO’s methodology. The WHO’s “Green Page” for Children’s Environmental Health Diagnosis, a Potential Exposure to Substances Questionnaire, and clinical histories were applied. Our study shows the usefulness of employing mixed methods and highlights the importance of including community perceptions in the assessment of children’s environmental health. Parents’ perceptions of risks and hazards to children’s environmental health were found to be modifiable and preventable, respectively, and require the implementation of interventions and public policies to protect the health and rights of children living in PCS in Ticul, Yucatán.