title: "The group facilitates everything": meanings patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assigned to health education groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to interpret the meanings patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assign to health education groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  ethnographic study conducted with Hyperdia groups of a healthcare unit with 26 informants, with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and having participated in the groups for at least three years. Participant observation, social characterization, discussion groups and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Data were analyzed through the thematic coding technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  four thematic categories emerged: ease of access to the service and healthcare workers; guidance on diabetes; participation in groups and the experience of diabetes; and sharing knowledge and experiences. The most relevant aspect of this study is the social use the informants in relation to the Hyperdia groups under study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the studied groups are agents producing senses and meanings concerning the process of becoming ill and the means of social navigation within the official health system. We expect this study to contribute to the actions of healthcare workers coordinating these groups given the observation of the cultural universe of these individuals seeking professional care in the various public health care services.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Caicó, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas Pereira
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edemilson Antunes
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: de Campos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans