The health perception rural community adolescents: between the ideal and the real

Abstract

This qualitative exploratory-descriptive study was performed by means of the Community Based Participant Research. The main objective was to understand the health perception of adolescents from a rural community. The focal group and field journal techniques were used to collect data from 26 adolescents of a rural community. The results were analyzed and qualitatively interpreted, expressed through two thematic categories that showed the ideal and real health conception of the adolescents. From this group’s perspective, the health of rural community adolescents is determined by positive and negative aspects, with reveal their perception of health and disease. It is concluded that nursing can reduce the distance between the ideal and real health in the rural community by taking hold of the sociocultural approach of becoming adolescent and developing intersectoral interventions to promote satisfactory sanitary conditions and encourage the adolescent’s potential as a social actor.

Descriptors: Adolescent; Rural Population; Public Health; Health Education; Community Health Nursing.