How is the perceived health of populations living near industrial facilities measured. A scoping review

Background In many countries, populations have been noted to be increasingly sensitive to the quality of living environments, in particular around industrial facilities. Health security agencies in several countries have conducted epidemiological studies focused on medically-defined mortality or morbidity criteria. With the goal of offering an exhaustive response, they have broadened the scope of the health phenomena studied to include measuring the perceived health of the general population, although no defined protocol to do this exists. The purpose of this work is to identify the tools used and to analyse how the validity and reliability of these tools is understood. Methods Using four document databases, we carried out a literature search focused on the topics of perceived health, a neighbouring population and the presence of an industrial facility. It found 1446 unique records, published between 2000 and 2023. Results 29 articles were selected: These consisted of 26 primary research articles and three literature reviews. The articles included varying definitions of perceived health, different tools were used, and the validity and reliability criteria were diverse. The tools used were standardized scales, questionnaires in national surveys or specifically created tools, all of which had varying levels of validity and reliability. Conclusion This research shows that there is a growing interest in the subject, although a tool that is superior in terms of its relevance or qualities has yet to emerge.