Imagem, reflexão e ação para a promoção da saúde de adolescente no contexto rural

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Brazilian children and adolescents are considered to be the most vulnerable part of population, due to their exposition to social aggravating elements that poverty and lack of access to basic services as education health, sports, leisure and professionalization increase. Social context is a very significant factor to adolescent`s education as a subject who embraces values and attitudes. Living at Brazilian country areas is a determining factor for his/her social vulnerability. It is necessary to know social context to develop purposes and actions that can positively influence adolescents` health. Photography is often used within research in Health subject area as a mean of knowledge/interpretation of subjects` life reality. This research considers that, through photography, it is possible to know country adolescents` point of view, by engaging a group critical reflection process on images and themes. OBJECTIVES: Analyzing country adolescents’ points of views, based on Paulo Freire`s conscience process, identifying primary problems in community health. METHODOLOGY: Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) study, with qualitative approach, based on Paulo Freire’s Critical Education and on documentary photography. Twenty-six students participated in the study. Data collection followed Wang and Buris’ photovoice method, and engaged in fifteen group meetings, country adolescents argued on health problems that affect them. Each participant received a photo camera, captured images from their community and reflected on their pictures. Results were organized within themes and categories through participatory analysis. RESULTS: The amount of girls (21) was higher than the amount of boys (5), as well as the age 12 to 13 years-old (16) was more prevalent. Familiar life living was with parents overall (24) and with grandparents (2). Family was often reported to be the basis for everything. Feeling on health was reported in two opposite sides: adolescent was or very healthy or very sick in Carapió community. Themes for photos represented their main concerns on country community social questions: nature, education, leisure, health, feeding, and tobacco and alcohol consummation. 131 images were selected to critical reflection. Written reports highlighted the importance of nature on country adolescents` health, as well as poverty and the lack of resources in community`s health unit. Adolescents concluded photovoice project with the exposition “Reality in Image”, within the country community, where population, media and managers were engaged. In different moments Freire`s three levels of conscience were experienced, always endless, and the conscience process succeeded from lenses to reality. CONCLUSION: Photovoice is considered a positive educational strategy for health, that engaged adolescents in community`s collective health matter and empowered teens` voice as protagonists of their own history. Country adolescents health point of view is specific, his/her culture influences his/her action and thoughts. Therefore, adolescent health care programs shall consider differences between rural and urban areas. There are some challenges to overcome, above all the ones concerning to political power rupture, which shall break common sense wild spreading within country communities. This research recommends new studies on this methodology in Brazil.