title: An anthropologic study on strategies for addressing health problems among the elderly in Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.
abstract: This paper explores the contribution of anthropological perspectives for clarifying the mechanisms through which socioeconomic circumstances influence the strategies developed by elderly for addressing their health problems in a small Brazilian city. Interviews with 20 key-informants explored the community's broad perception of the health situation of the elderly. Life histories collected from 30 elderly women examined their own perception of their health status and their health strategies. Narratives converge in emphasising the important role played by financial factors in accessing health services and medication. Life histories also describe some damaging strategies resorted to by the elderly to deal with their lack of resources. Elderly women emphasize the crucial support they receive from their family and/or neighbours to overcome health problems. Thus, the issue of poverty is not only a matter of socioeconomic circumstances, but also the poverty of broader social networks.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Estudos em Saúde Pública e Envelhecimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Uchôa
authors.forename: Josélia O A
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Firmo
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lima-Costa
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology*; D000883:Anthropology; D001938:Brazil; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors