Vulnerability and Primary Health Care: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

The objective was to analyze the evidence available in the scientific literature on the concept of vulnerability, in theoretical perspectives and its use, in Primary Health Care. An integrative literature review was carried out with the inclusion criteria: articles in English, full text, peerreviewed, related to vulnerability and primary health care, with the explicit concept of vulnerability, and published until July 31, 2020. The electronic databases accessed were by crossing the descriptors “vulnerability,” “vulnerabilities,” “primary health care,” “primary healthcare,” and “primary care.” The final sample consisted of 19 articles. The thematic analysis produced 2 themes: “Theoretical foundations of the concept of vulnerability” and “The use of the concept of vulnerability in PHC.” In the second theme, 2 sub-themes emerged: Evaluation of health policies, programs, and services and Classification of individuals, groups, and families. There was a plurality of theoretical foundations for the concept of vulnerability and a smaller scope of its use in Primary Health Care. It is expected that the study will subsidize public policymakers and health teams in the design of services and actions aimed at vulnerable populations and in situations of vulnerability.

Family Vulnerability Scale: evidence of content and internal structure validity

“…Thus, health services and managers must consider family vulnerability to organize healthcare practices, mainly from the population perspective [7]. Accordingly, territory view from vulnerability strata perspectives subsidizes the process to identity health needs in different population groups [2]. Besides, family vulnerability stratification is essential at the time to plan the offer of services in a given territory, since it would help achieving equity and qualified of population-based care management.…”

Efeitos do Treinamento Cognitivo de Compaixão na quebrada: estudo misto

“…Sob a perspectiva da determinação social, é inegável a existência de uma íntima relação entre saúde e sociedade. Desse modo, todas as análises do processo saúde-doença-cuidado devem, necessariamente, considerar as contradições e vulnerabilidades sociais, que estão na base dos problemas de saúde e o modo como as pessoas com diferentes inserções sociais acessam os recursos de cuidado profissional, popular e informal, incluindo o autocuidado (1)(2) .…”

“…Questões como habitação, renda, fontes usuais de cuidados, redes sociais, educação, cultura, expectativas individuais e sociais de futuro são importantes determinantes sociais da saúde. Contudo, também é necessário atribuir à esfera da (re)produção social a determinação dos desgastes e fortalecimentos do processo saúde-doença-cuidado vivido pelas pessoas, que podem resultar em problemas de saúde (2)(3) .…”

Effects of Cognitively Based Compassion Training in the outskirts: A mixed study

“…From the perspective of social determination, the existence of an intimate relationship between health and society is undeniable. Thus, all analyses of the health-disease-care process must necessarily consider the contradictions and social vulnerabilities that underlie the health problems and the way in which people with different social backgrounds access professional, popular, and informal care resources, including self-care (1)(2) . Social vulnerability is an interdisciplinary expression that refers to the sense of guaranteeing citizenship and to the fragility of social well-being, determined by a combination of sociopolitical and cultural factors that interfere with access to goods and resources to ensure the right to life with dignity (1) .…”

“…Issues such as housing, income, usual sources of care, social networks, education, culture, individual and social expectations for the future are important social determinants of health. However, it is also necessary to attribute to the sphere of social (re)production the determination of the strains and strengthening instances of the health-disease-care process experienced by people, which can result in health problems (2)(3) .…”