Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the health-disease-care process of the older adult living in rural areas. Method: a qualitative research study from the perspective of Madeleine Leininger's Theory of Diversity and Universality of Cultural Care, carried out with the participation of 19 older adults living in the rural area of a municipality in southern Brazil. Data collection took place in July and August 2018 by means of semi-structured interviews and simple observation. And data analysis was performed following Laurence Bardin's Content Analysis proposal. Results: the conceptions of health and disease of the older adult living in rural areas are mainly related to the ability and inability to perform the activities of daily living and work, especially with the land and animals. We highlight the care practices of older adults living in rural areas with regard to the use of medications, food consumption and the practice of physical exercise. In addition, the notion about their health condition and the capacity for self-management and adaptation to the challenges of the health-disease-care process. Conclusion: the health-disease-care process of older adults living in rural areas is influenced by social and cultural factors of the context in which they are inserted. This suggests the planning, implementation, development, evaluation and (re)formulation of health policies, programs and actions focused on providing culturally congruent care, which encompasses more than the singularities of the rural area, in the sense of dichotomy in relation to the urban area.
Highlights
The process of population aging and the consequent increase in life expectancy bring new health needs and expectations of the older adult population in different places of the world, including rural areas of the various Brazilian regions
The participants were drawn from lists of people aged 60 years old or older, during meetings held with the health teams of Basic Health Units organized in the form of Family Health Strategy (FHS) responsible for three areas of coverage subdivided into 19 micro areas located in the rural area of a municipality in the Brazilian South Region, which were determined because they had the highest number of registered older adults
The statements of the older adults living in rural areas allowed coming to the conclusion that their health-disease-care process is influenced by the social and cultural factors of the context in which they are inserted, resulting in health and disease conceptions and in their own care practices, as described in the following categories: health and disease conceptions of the older adults living in rural areas; and care practices of the older adults living in rural areas
Summary
The process of population aging and the consequent increase in life expectancy bring new health needs and expectations of the older adult population in different places of the world, including rural areas of the various Brazilian regions. Based on a literature review regarding research studies that contemplate the health-disease-care process of the older adults living in rural areas, it was identified that these are still incipient, since few scientific publications were found This gap allows for the justification of the development of new research with the purpose of understanding it in different social and cultural contexts and, of contributing to the planning, implementation, development, evaluation and (re)formulation of health policies, programs and actions with a view to providing culturally congruent care. Care that adequately and significantly corresponds to the beliefs, cultures and ways of life of people with a view to promoting health and preventing diseases, health problems and deaths.[4]
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