title: [Gender analysis of primary care professionals' perceptions and attitudes to informal care].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze primary care professionals' perceptions and attitudes to informal care from a gender perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a qualitative study using interviews and a discussion group. Eighteen primary care professionals were selected in the Health District of Grenada (Spain) by means of intentional sampling. Content analysis was performed with the following categories: a) perceptions: concepts of dependency and informal care, gender differences and impact on health, b) attitudes: not in favor of change, in favor of change and the right not to provide informal care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The health professionals emphasized the non-professional, free and strong emotional component of informal care. These professionals assigned the family (especially women) the main responsibility for caregiving and used stereotypes to differentiate between care provided by men and by women. The professionals agreed that women had a greater psychological burden associated with care, mainly because they more frequently provide caregiving on their own than men. Three major attitudes emerged among health professionals about informal care: those who did not question the current situation and idealized the family as the most appropriate framework for caregiving; those who proposed changes toward a more universal dependency system that would relieve families; and those who adopted an intermediate position, favoring education to achieve wellbeing in caregivers and prevent them from ceasing to provide care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified perceptions and attitudes that showed little sensitivity to gender equality, such as a conservative attitude that assigned the family the primary responsibility for informal care and some sexist stereotypes that attributed a greater ability for caregiving to women. Specific training in gender equality is required among health professionals to reduce inequalities in informal care.
authors.affiliation: Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública, Granada, España. mariadelmar.garcia.easp@juntadeandalucia.es
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: del Mar García-Calvente
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: del Río Lozano
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castaño López
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mateo Rodríguez
authors.forename: Gracia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maroto Navarro
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hidalgo Ruzzante
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires