Developing Community-Based Public Policy to Prevent Pesticide Exposure Among Children in Rural Thailand: A Participatory Action Research Study

Children living in agricultural communities are particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposure through multiple environmental pathways, yet community-level public policies specifically designed to protect children remain limited in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to develop a community-based public policy for preventing pesticide exposure among young children in rural Thailand through a participatory action research (PAR) approach. Guided by the Kemmis and McTaggart PAR framework, one complete PAR cycle was conducted between February 2022 and January 2023 in Ban Nangoi Village, Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand. Purposive sampling recruited 62 stakeholders representing parents, farmers, healthcare personnel, local government representatives, academics, and community members. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and community meetings and analyzed using thematic analysis. The PAR process enabled stakeholders to jointly identify local priorities and co-develop a context-specific public policy summarized as the “3 Cs for Farmers, 2 Ps for People, and 1 S for Community” framework. Participants reported greater awareness of pesticide-related health risks, stronger multisectoral collaboration, improved stakeholder communication, and wider adoption of preventive practices. These findings suggest that PAR is a feasible approach for co-creating context-specific public policies while strengthening local environmental health governance. Rather than demonstrating the effectiveness of the policy in reducing pesticide exposure, this study highlights the value of stakeholder participation and policy co-creation in supporting sustainable community action. Future research should incorporate objective pesticide exposure measures, quantitative outcome indicators, and longer-term follow-up to evaluate policy effectiveness across diverse agricultural settings.