Latinx and Indigenous Mexican Caregivers’ Perspectives of the Salton Sea Environment on Children’s Asthma, Respiratory Health, and Co-Presenting Health Conditions

Ann Marie Cheney (), Gabriela Ortiz, Ashley Trinidad, Sophia Rodriguez, Ashley Moran, Andrea Gonzalez, Jaír Chavez and María Pozar
Additional contact information
Ann Marie Cheney: Department of Social Medicine Population and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Gabriela Ortiz: Department of Anthropology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Ashley Trinidad: College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Sophia Rodriguez: Department of Anthropology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Ashley Moran: Department of Social Medicine Population and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Andrea Gonzalez: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Jaír Chavez: College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
María Pozar: Conchita Servicios de la Comunidad, Mecca, CA 92254, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: This research investigated Latinx and Indigenous Mexican caregivers’ perspectives of the Salton Sea’s environment (e.g., dust concentrations and other toxins) on child health conditions. The Salton Sea is a highly saline drying lakebed located in the Inland Southern California desert borderland region and is surrounded by agricultural fields. Children of Latinx and Indigenous Mexican immigrant families are especially vulnerable to the Salton Sea’s environmental impact on chronic health conditions due to their proximity to the Salton Sea and structural vulnerability. From September 2020 to February 2021, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with a total of 36 Latinx and Indigenous Mexican caregivers of children with asthma or respiratory distress living along the Salton Sea. A community investigator trained in qualitative research conducted interviews in Spanish or Purépecha, an indigenous language spoken by immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico. Template and matrix analysis was used to identify themes and patterns across interviews and focus groups. Participants characterized the Salton Sea’s environment as toxic, marked by exposure to sulfuric smells, dust storms, chemicals, and fires, all of which contribute to children’s chronic health conditions (e.g., respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia, co-presenting with allergies and nosebleeds). The findings have important environmental public health significance for structurally vulnerable child populations in the United States and globally.

Keywords: asthma; child health; respiratory conditions; environmental health; Indigenous Mexicans; Latinx health; Purépecha; Salton Sea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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