[Experience with treatment of high blood pressure in low-income families].
In order to properly understand high blood pressure (HBP), or arterial hypertension, it is important to examine the influence of knowledge and beliefs associated with the condition, as well as the resources available for its treatment. This study analyzes the treatment experiences of three low-income extended families that include members with HBP. The study investigated the various alternatives that were adopted, determinants of choices, evaluation of the services used, and the impact of interaction with health services on care in the home. An ethnographic study was performed in a low-income neighborhood in Salvador, Bahia State, using direct observation and semi-structured interviews with key informants in home and institutional settings. The study found that the treatment experiences of the participating families did not follow a rigid pattern, but were influenced by prior experiences with hypertension and other diseases, available social support, and conditions in the formal health care system available in the neighborhood. The study also detected a grasp and adaptation of technical health knowledge by families.
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Basílio da Gama s/n, Salvador, Brazil. trad@ufba.br
Leny Alves Bonfim
LA
Trad
Jeane Saskya Campos
JS
Tavares
Carla Silva
CS
Soares
Rachel Coelho
RC
Ripardo
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001938:Brazil; D017028:Caregivers; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty