Abstract
Objective: The study aims to evaluate the use of a teaching method proposed by Paulo Freire, Culture Circles, in the education of teenagers multipliers on leprosy awareness. Methods: It is an action-research study with a qualitative approach developed in a public school in Pernambuco, Brazil. Five Culture Circles were conducted involving the participation of 26 teenagers. The followings were used as data collection tools: observation, field notes, photography and filming. Results: The educational intervention on health addressed the following topics: 1) Definition and transmission of leprosy; 2) Characteristics and diagnosis of leprosy; 3) Treatment of leprosy; 4) Aesthetics, prejudice and mental health related to leprosy; and 5) Planning of educational activities for teenagers as health multipliers on leprosy awareness. The educational action on health provided this age group to perceive themselves, act as political subjects in the development of Culture Circles, and act as protagonists in the dissemination of knowledge on leprosy. Conclusions: This study highlights that the application of active methodologies, such as Culture Circles, is able to encourage the engagement of young people in community empowerment and bring together health professionals and the school community in an intersectoral work in order to develop action strategies involving the promotion of health in the context of neglected diseases such as leprosy.
Highlights
Leprosy is an infectious disease transmitted by the contact with untreated people or people with its transmissible forms
Within the presented context and the experience of the authors in health education actions with Culture Circles, this study aims to evaluate the implementation of Culture Circles as a teaching approach in the education of teenagers multipliers on leprosy awareness
The choice of the Culture Circle as a theoretical and methodological framework in the development of educational intervention in health was established in order to provide teenagers to perceive themselves and act as agents of change regarding situations of vulnerability experienced in the community [11], inviting them at the same time to take the lead of disseminating knowledge on leprosy awareness
Summary
Leprosy is an infectious disease transmitted by the contact with untreated people or people with its transmissible forms. Today, it still represents a serious public health problem in Brazil and in developing countries. Inequalities, determinants and socially decisive aspects portray the epidemiological data on leprosy, which leads us to think about how health policies still need to be contextualized considering the culture, customs, socio-economic aspects and the disease’s own behavior in each territory [1] [2]. In Brazil, the occurrence of new leprosy cases is increasing, mostly between the 10 to 15 age group. These cases are directly related to active transmission focuses and socioeconomic conditions. It is known that the most vulnerable populations are in less favored areas and since they are closely related to endemicity of the region, they have a great relevance for the epidemiology of the disease [3]
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