Abstract
to know how the social determinants of health relate to the context of life and work of recyclable waste pickers. a qualitative study, derived from Convergent-Care Research, conducted with waste pickers from two recycling associations in the South of Brazil. We used systematic participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and convergence groups. The analysis followed the steps of Seizure, Synthesis, Theorization, and Transfer. advanced age, precarious self-care, gender inequalities, violence, and family conflicts have shown to be elements linked to the individual, behavioral, and social network determinants. Determinants connected to living and working conditions were related to poor access to education and formal work, as well as to the daily occupational risks in recycling. The lack of labor rights and public policies represented macro-determinants. Final. social and economic deficiencies are potentiated in the context of life and work of waste pickers, strongly related to their determinants.
Highlights
METHODSRecyclable waste pickers are part of a vulnerable social group concerning health, education, and living and working conditions[1,2]
In Brazil, we estimate that about 300 thousand people work with recyclable material and that they are present in about 89% of Brazilian municipalities
Recent evidence has shown that waste pickers of recyclable material have a high prevalence of occupational disease, provoked by little access/use of health services, and poor living, housing and working conditions[4,5,6,7]
Summary
Recyclable waste pickers are part of a vulnerable social group concerning health, education, and living and working conditions[1,2]. In Brazil, we estimate that about 300 thousand people work with recyclable material and that they are present in about 89% of Brazilian municipalities. They are predominantly men, self-declared black or brown, with age range between the third and fourth decade of life. Recent evidence has shown that waste pickers of recyclable material have a high prevalence of occupational disease (especially chronic and infectious diseases related to the environment), provoked by little access/use of health services, and poor living, housing and working conditions[4,5,6,7]. Studies have shown that waste pickers of recyclable material have life trajectories marked by exclusion from the labor market and lack of opportunities and are vulnerable to powerful agents of suffering related to prejudice and stigma for working with what society calls “waste”(8-9)
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