The concepts of health care according to women from a Quilombola community in the metropolitan area of Fortaleza, in the State of Ceará: an investigation via affections

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the health care settings by interviewing women from a Quilombola community in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza, in the State of Ceará. We highlight the importance of discussing the dimensions of affection within health care practices based on the daily lives of communities, considering socio-political issues, such as the ethnic-racial debate. We aim to identify the participants’ health care concepts and demands and, discuss new ways to think and act in health. The Affective Map Generator Questionnaire was used to capture issues related to health care according to affections. In total, 13 women aged from 38 to 77 years participated in this survey. We categorized four health care settings based on their answers: evangelical churches, home, community spaces, and commercial centers. Participants gave less important to other spaces, which showed greater variability. We found that collectivity, access, territory, and affections are relevant in the development of participants’ health processes. Finally, we discuss ways of conducting institutionalized care in health services and we raised some considerations for the construction of more dialogical processes that value autonomy.