Resposta de mulheres em idade fértil sobre recomendações governamentais preventivas no contexto epidêmico do Zika: pesquisa qualitativa

Abstract

The Zika virus epidemic has become a public health emergency of international concern, bringing personal, social, economic and political repercussions that strongly affected women of reproductive age, mainly due to the association of the disease with microcephaly. Although many characteristics of transmission and effects were unknown, experts were required to generate recommendations for the public. These recommendations also lacked a sound scientific base for the public and behavioral side of epidemic control. This study aims to investigate the knowledge of women of reproductive age about the recommendations provided by health authorities for dealing with the ZIKV epidemic. This is a qualitative study, using Rapid Ethnographic Assessment research methods. The sample consisted of 51 women from the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, in which we conducted face-to-face interviews using an open-ended semi-structured research guide. The guide contained topics based on initial pilot interviews and a review of the scientific literature. Sampling was purposive and tried to include a diversity of women from different social classes, ages and reproductive stage. Interviews were transcribed and reviewed to summarize responses and identify emerging themes. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the UFC (nº 2,108.291). The sample was composed of women aged between 20 and 39 years. The median participant was born in Fortaleza, had completed high school, was of racial category parda, married, had children and worked in some kind of paid capacity. The results demonstrate important gaps in knowledge and behavior associated with the recommendations, including also the emphasis for the population through the Zika program on the use of old outdated practices such as encouraging the use of insecticides by pregnant women. Although they reported knowledge and applicability about some preventive actions, such as the use of repellent and avoiding water stagnation, the applicability of these guidelines was associated with women with the intention of becoming pregnant and/or pregnant, although they were still unsure about the effectiveness of the method. and form of use. Women mentioned difficulty in wearing long clothes due to the climate of the place and doubts about the effectiveness of using mosquito nets, as well as associating the use of mosquito nets with people of lower economic level. Given the evidence from the study, we understand that the effort to educate the public about the Zika virus and how to prevent it was considered a failure. This is not just a failure in the orientation and applicability of information concerning the Zika campaign, but the inadequacy of these recommendations, given the sociocultural and economic context of the population affected by ZIKV and other infectious diseases. The challenge for health authorities is to seek more innovative and effective ways to promote preventive work and the control of arboviruses