Environmental history-taking as part of pediatric consultations: a pilot study

Introduction. Children's environmental health studies the influence of the environment on health and disease in children. Global environmental exposures pose a serious threat to health, warranting further research and action. Objective. To assess the environmental health of a sample of children living in urban and rural areas in Uruguaiana, Brazil. Population and methods. We included parents/legal guardians (n = 714) of children seen at Policlinica Infantil de Uruguaiana between January and October 2021, who completed the environmental historytaking in pediatrics (Brazilian Society of Pediatrics). Collected data were analyzed based on place of residence (urban or rural) or household income. Results. The comparison between inhabitants of the urban area (n = 660) and the rural area (n = 54) established that, among those living in the rural area, activity with chemical substances (15% versus 32.7%; p = 0.004), living near a plantation (7.5% versus 74.5%; p < 0.001) or near a source of contamination (4.8% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001), having a dog (62% versus 87.3%; p < 0.001), using pesticides (0.6% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001), and exposure to chemical contamination (2.6% versus 18.2%; p < 0.001) were significantly higher. In the urban area, exposure to vehicle traffic near the house (85% versus 48.1%; p < 0.001), an average income below 3 minimum wages (90%), and a low level of education predominated. Conclusion. Environmental history-taking is critical for the detection of environmental threats present in the areas where children and adolescents live, learn, play, and study.