title: Representations of health and illness by Eastern European, South American and Italian care workers: a qualitative study.
abstract: This qualitative research examined the representations of health and illness presented by 30 individuals who work as care workers, from three different locations: Eastern Europe, South America and Italy. We led three focus groups for people who came from the same geographical area (intra-ethnic) and two for those from 'mixed' areas (inter-ethnic). From our content analyses, certain similarities and differences between the conceptualizations of health and illness emerged: in the intra-ethnic focus groups, Eastern Europeans focused on 'inner strengths', South Americans on 'love' and Italians on 'personal autonomy'. These peculiar traits were levelled in the inter-ethnic focus groups.
authors.affiliation: Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy. ceciliapace@fastwebnet.it
authors.forename: Cecilia Serena
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Velotti
authors.forename: Giulio Cesare
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Zavattini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004194:Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006262:Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013020:South America