Núcleo de Estudos em Saúde Pública e Envelhecimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil.
Cad Saude Publica. 2011;27 Suppl 3:S370-7. doi: 10.1590/s0102-311x2011001500007.
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.
本论文探讨了人类学视角对阐明社会经济环境影响老年人应对健康问题策略的机制的贡献，该研究以巴西的一个小城市为背景。通过对 20 名关键知情者进行访谈，探讨了社区对老年人健康状况的广泛看法。对 30 名老年女性的生活史进行收集，以考察她们对自身健康状况和健康策略的看法。这些叙述都强调了经济因素在获取卫生服务和药物方面的重要作用。生活史还描述了老年人为应对资源匮乏而采取的一些有害策略。老年女性强调了她们从家庭和/或邻居那里获得的关键支持，以克服健康问题。因此，贫困问题不仅是社会经济环境的问题，也是更广泛社会网络的贫困问题。
