Area of Science:

• Environmental health
• Public health research
• Participatory science

Context:

• Santé publique France has two decades of experience in participatory environmental health investigations.
• An initial assessment in 2016 compared four participatory processes on polluted sites.
• This work reflects on the contributions and limitations of these approaches.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and challenges of participatory approaches in local environmental health investigations.
• To understand how stakeholder involvement impacts scientific results and pollution management.
• To inform the development of new co-construction methods for future studies.

Summary:

• Local stakeholder involvement in environmental health investigations allows for expression of concerns and expectations.
• Participatory methods can enhance scientific rigor by integrating local knowledge and addressing community needs.
• The success of these approaches depends on factors like stakeholder subjectivity and engagement strategies.

Impact:

• Improved quality and acceptability of scientific results and environmental pollution management options.
• Enhanced community engagement and trust in public health research.
• Development of innovative co-construction models for future participatory health studies.