Browsing by Author "Rocha-Jiménez, Teresita"

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    Health, migration, and the climate crisis: an exploratory qualitative study in an informal settlement in Santiago, Chile
    (2025) Watkins, Loreto; Blanco, Estela; Barraza, Javiera; Díaz de León, Alejandra; Pérez, Miguel; Rocha-Jiménez, Teresita
    Migrants in urban areas of developing countries are among the most vulnerable populations to the impacts of the climate crisis. Already facing structural inequities, migrants must cope with limited access to stable housing, essential services, and climate-resilient infrastructure. In this paper, we explore the intersections of health, migration, and the climate crisis through an exploratory qualitative study conducted in Un Nuevo Amanecer, an informal urban settlement in Santiago, Chile. This approach, involving 21 migrant residents, examined health vulnerabilities and community strategies in response to climate crisis conditions. We addressed the effects of extreme weather events and urban conditions among migrant populations, such as landslides, heat, and cold waves, fires, floods, and air pollution. The settlement’s location on unsafe land and poor infrastructure exacerbates residents’ social and health vulnerabilities, including emerging illnesses, mental health impacts, and limited personal resources and institutional support to cope with climate events like fires and extreme weather. Our findings highlight the crucial role of urban environments in promoting health, well-being, and resilience, while also guiding the development of more effective strategies to address the challenges of the climate crisis in vulnerable migrant populations
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    Playful consumption, serious concerns: navigating risks and normalization in Chile’s e-cigarette unregulated market
    (2025) Silva-Gallardo, Constanza; Astudillo Rodríguez, Gabriel Arturo; Concha, Francisca; Rocha-Jiménez, Teresita; Castillo-Carniglia, Álvaro
    Background Despite legal restrictions, e-cigarette use is rapidly expanding in Chile, driven by informal sales and weak enforcement. Classified as pharmaceutical products, e-cigarettes are technically prohibited for commercial sale without health authority approval. However, widespread access and appealing product features have contributed to their social normalization (e.g., perceived as a common or an acceptable practice). This study aims to explore e-cigarette related behaviors and perceptions in the absence of clear institutional guidelines and oversight. Methods This qualitative study draws on 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted between May 2024 and May 2025 with adult users and adult informal sellers of e-cigarettes in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. Data were transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed thematically using an inductive approach to capture participants’ motivations, perceptions of harm, and experiences navigating a largely unregulated vaping landscape. Results Three major themes emerged among adult users: (1) E-cigarettes were often introduced through peer influence and framed as a playful, socially embedded practice rather than a cessation tool; (2) Participants described high levels of normalization and visibility of e-cigarettes across public and private settings, even as they expressed ambivalence about health risks; (3) Most participants reported navigating a state of uncertainty fueled by inconsistent e-cigarette regulations, limited product labeling, and reliance on informal sources such as social media. The lack of clear legal guidance or public health communication contributed to both confusion and normalization of use in our sample. Conclusions Participants described a legal and informational ambiguity that enables normalization and downplays perceived harms. As the first qualitative study on adult e-cigarette–related behaviors in Chile, these findings provide timely insights that may be valuable for other Latin American contexts facing similar regulatory gaps.