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Based on the assumptions of the social ecological theory (SET), this study aims to identify the factors that influence water consumption by the schoolchildren segment in urban communities in Mexico, to further develop a community-based social marketing intervention.

This study was formative research, quantitative and qualitative in nature, consisting of a survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews. It was conducted in public and private elementary schools in central Mexico (five states), during 2023.

It was identified that parents are aware of the benefits of drinking water for their children’s health. However, various factors in the sociocultural environment, perceptions, customs and habits were noted as barriers to water consumption. Consequently, children’s behaviors are influenced by their family context as the strongest environment. Likewise, the school environment and the social environment are identified as other influential factors. Each system acts as a motivator or barrier in the child’s behavior, creating and supporting consumption behaviors learned from an early age.

Interventions on water consumption should target the most influential SET systems; the microsystem and the mesosystem, achieving the participation and co-responsibility of stakeholders in changing the environment and thus behavior.

This study aims to explore the role of community health workers (promotoras) as a vehicle to identify and involve stakeholders in cleaning the environment in two community-based social marketing (CBSM) interventions.

This paper evaluates two CBSM interventions that used a promotora model to address city cleaning efforts; one in Puebla, Mexico and the other in San Luis, Arizona, USA. The qualitative methods included as follows: 25 in-depth and short interviews with managers, residents and promotoras and observational data on the sites with the cleanliness issues which were the focus of the interventions. Open-ended qualitative responses were analyzed for recurring themes.

This research advances in the area of CBSM by presenting the figure of the “promotora” as a key element that helped to involve diverse groups of stakeholders as active members in two CBSM interventions, and who also facilitated socialization, penetration and co-responsibility in the community in two cleaning interventions. Promotoras have the knowledge of community conditions and the skills necessary to engage community stakeholders in the objectives of a program with community level benefits.

This comparative analysis identifies that CBSM interventions that include promotoras can engage a diverse group of stakeholders achieving participation and co-responsibility in cleaning their environment.