Envelhecimento e qualidade de vida: significados para idosos participantes de grupos de promoção de saúde no contexto da estratégia saúde da família / Ageing and Quality of Life: Meanings for the aged participating in the Health Promotion Groups within the Family Health Strategy context.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

The progressive growth in the number of aged people over the last decades, which resulted from reduced fertility and death rates and the consequent increase in life expectancy, promoted the development of an interest in studying ageing. The literature highlights the scientific and social importance of researching the conditions that affect wellbeing in ageing and the factors associated with the aged peoples quality of life, with a view to creating intervention alternatives and proposing health actions and policies, aiming at meeting the demands of the ageing population. Important advancements in health have been conquered in Brazil and the Family Health Strategy appeared as a possible means in the process of reorganizing primary health care and with the strength to establishing the participation of the community and the comprehensiveness of the actions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of aged individuals regarding their quality of life, with a view to provide service comprehensiveness after joining the Health Promotion Groups in progress at the Vila Tibério Teaching Health Center (Ribeirão Preto SP). The study used a qualitative approach and data collection was performed by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observation in three groups, in the period from July 22 to December 4, 2008. Content analysis was performed using the thematic analysis technique, resulting in six major themes: Feelings about what it is like to be aged in Brazil; Health Satisfaction; Meanings about quality of life; Life satisfaction; The importance of social and leisure activities for quality of life; Health Promotion Groups. The analysis of the findings shows that the interviewed aged individuals value their importance and autonomy in performing their activities and report a healthy life and having adequate behavior concerning their health care, eating and sleeping habits, and also highlight that leisure activities, participating in health promotion groups and good relationships are essential to achieve fulfillment in life. This evidences that these aged individuals, by becoming involved with health promotion activities, started to value and prioritize positive factors about their health. They also reported that social and leisure activities, especially their participation in health promotion groups, were extremely important for their quality of life and for creating a social health care network that integrated the aged people to the community, considering that they started to take better care of themselves and to feel happier and healthier, and have a new life routine after entering these groups. Therefore, this study presents relevant issues regarding ageing and new health proposals to improve the quality of life of the study population and the community. The subjects statements are important and should be taken into consideration when creating new health actions founded on the real desires and needs of the target population.

ASSUNTO(S)

grupos de promoção de saúde. idosos quality of life qualidade de vida estratégia de saúde da família health promotion groups. family health strategy aged

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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