Abstract
This research aimed to interpret the meanings of quality of life, taking into consideration the meanings attributed by those who have undergone serious burns, their experiences and social/cultural background. We used the ethnographic method based on modern hermeneutics. Nineteen patients with burn sequelae, already discharged from the Burns Unit of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School Clinical Hospital participated in this study, along with their relatives. Participants belong to the working class, are between 18 to 50 years old and have been in rehabilitation for at least a year. Data were collected by direct observation and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was processed through the identification of units of meanings and construction of thematic nucleuses. Patients and relatives reported that quality of life had changed because of physical and psychological limitations caused by the burns. The meanings of quality of life are associated with the performance of social roles and are guided by family, work, normality, autonomy and social integration.
Highlights
Since 1970, a growing interest in quality of life assessment has been observed in the health area, possibly due to increased life expectancy and the survival of people with disabilities or with chronic health conditions
Studies on quality of life have been conducted within a naturalistic perspective
It cannot be ignored that man is a biological organism, and as such may be an object of study centered on the biologic organism and disease, within the naturalistic perspective
Summary
Since 1970, a growing interest in quality of life assessment has been observed in the health area, possibly due to increased life expectancy and the survival of people with disabilities or with chronic health conditions. The existence of different ways of conceptualizing quality of life can be noticed, being a complex and comprehensive concept[1], involving a wide array of dimensions: biological, psychological, social, cultural and environmental. Studies on quality of life have been conducted within a naturalistic perspective. It cannot be ignored that man is a biological organism, and as such may be an object of study centered on the biologic organism and disease, within the naturalistic perspective. The characteristics that make a man a person cannot be ignored and, it is necessary to understand and interpret their motivations, values, believes and what directs the focus towards the cultural dimension. Studies about the comprehension and interpretation of the meaning of quality of life could complement the studies developed from a naturalistic perspective[1]
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