Cultural meaning of quality of life: perspectives of Brazilian burn patients.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to explore the cultural meaning and dimensions of quality of life from the perspective of Brazilian burn patients. METHOD: A qualitative research approach was used. Nineteen burn patients and their close relatives participated in this ethnographic study. Data were collected by means of direct observation and semi-structured interviews, conducted in a hospital outpatient clinic and during visits to patients' homes. The following inter-related phases guided the analysis process: reading of the material and data reduction, data display, conclusion outlining and verification. RESULTS: Participants reported that the quality of life is related to autonomy and the ability to work. The dimensions of quality of life included: resuming work and functional ability, body image, having leisure and interpersonal relationships. Their descriptions revealed their feelings and attitudes about resuming their previous activities and social lives, particularly concerning the work. CONCLUSION: For burn patients, quality of life is associated with the concept of normality, the satisfactory performance of social roles in the context of family life and the social world. The results showed the importance of the sociocultural dimension in the concept of quality of life for persons undergoing burn rehabilitation.

The meanings of quality of life: interpretative analysis based on experiences of people in burns rehabilitation.

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.

The meanings of quality of life: interpretative analysis based on experiences of people in burns rehabilitation / Significados para la calidad de vida: análisis interpretativo fundamentado en la experiencia de personas quemadas em rehabilitación / Significados de qualidade de vida: análise interpretativa baseada na experiência de pessoas em reabilitação de queimaduras

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.

Con el objetivo de interpretar los significados para la calidad de vida, este estudio parte de la atribución dada por personas que sufrieron quemaduras graves, sus experiencias y su contexto sociocultural. El método etnográfico fue utilizado apoyado en la teoría hermenéutica moderna. Participaron del estudio 19 pacientes con secuelas de quemadura y sus familiares, atendidos en la Unidad de Quemados del Hospital de Clínicas de la Facultad de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. Los sujetos pertenecían al sector popular, con edades entre 18 y 50 años, participantes del programa de rehabilitación por lo menos un año. Los datos recolectados a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas y observación directa; siendo su análisis realizado a través de la identificación de unidades de significados y construcción de núcleos temáticos. Los pacientes y sus familiares mencionaron cambios en su calidad de vida debidos a sus limitaciones físicas y psíquicas por la quemadura. La calidad de vida asociada al desempeño de los roles sociales fue estructurada en base a los núcleos: familia, trabajo, autonomía, normalidad e integración social.

Com o objetivo de interpretar os significados de qualidade de vida, este estudo considera os sentidos atribuídos por pessoas que sofreram queimaduras graves, suas experiências e contexto sociocultural. Utilizou-se o método etnográfico com apoio teórico da hermenêutica moderna. Participaram 19 pacientes com seqüelas de queimadura, atendidos pela Unidade de Queimados do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, e seus familiares. Pertencentes às classes populares, os sujeitos, com idade entre 18 e 50 anos, integram programa de reabilitação há um ano ou mais. A análise dos dados, coletados por entrevistas semi-estruturadas e observação direta, processou-se pela identificação de unidades de significados e construção de núcleos temáticos. Pacientes e familiares relataram modificações da qualidade de vida introduzidas por limitações físicas e psíquicas provocadas pela queimadura. Qualidade de vida, associada ao desempenho de papéis sociais, estrutura-se em torno dos núcleos: família, trabalho, autonomia, normalidade e integração social.

Uso de drogas no chile: pesquisa documental e bibliográfica / Drugs use in chile: documentary and bibliographic research

Esta pesquisa social, documental e bibliográfica objetiva a análise interpretativa dos significados do uso de drogas no Chile. Arrola as drogas mais consumidas no país, examina ações de políticas públicas e destaca contradições internas da questão. Investiga o consumo de drogas e seu combate na América Latina e remete, ainda, à cultura de massas, visando interpretar os significados da expansão das drogas no cenário internacional contemporâneo. Em suas conclusões, o estudo indica a relevância da ênfase à dimensão simbólica, com destaque aos valores e hábitos que estimulam o consumo de drogas para o delineamento de ações relativas à questão (AU)