A study developed with the input of concerned citizens

Registration for the collaborative citizen workshops is now open. They will begin in mid-November and will be held in Mourenx in strict compliance with current health regulations on November 15, 16, and 23. These collaborative citizen workshops will gather testimonials and stories about local life, as well as residents’ expectations and concerns. All the information gathered will be used to refine the scientific questionnaire so that it more closely reflects the realities of people’s lived experiences and their concerns regarding health, the environment, and quality of life.

Holding these workshops requires the participation of approximately forty adult residents who volunteer, representing a diverse range of profiles (age, gender, municipality of residence, etc.). Participation in these citizen workshops is open to any adult resident living in the area surrounding the Lacq basin, between Orthez and Lescar, Arthez-de-Béarn and Monein.

These collaborative workshops bring a citizen’s perspective to the protocol for the participatory health study, which is part of the Regional Health and Environment Plan and aims to describe the health status of residents living near the industrial area, their perception of the local environment, and to analyze the links between the two. This individual survey, using a questionnaire co-developed with citizens, will be conducted in 2022 on a representative sample of residents. The results of this study, expected in 2023, could help improve the health and quality of life of residents in the Lacq industrial basin.

The participatory health study: Phase 4 of the work conducted around the Lacq Basin

In October 2015, Santé publique France was tasked by the Directorate General for Health with assessing the appropriateness and feasibility of establishing epidemiological surveillance of the populations living near the Lacq industrial basin. In response to this local issue and in an innovative manner, Santé publique France proposed a series of complementary studies to understand all aspects of the situation and provide a comprehensive response. Accordingly, a local context study was published in May 2019 and supplemented by morbidity and mortality studies, the reports for which will be available in November 2021. The participatory health study constitutes the fourth component of this response.