Saberes e práticas de populações ribeirinhas do Amazonas no autocuidade com feridas agudas

Abstract

Introduction: This study focuses on the knowledge and practices of riverside populations in the Amazon region regarding self-care for acute wounds. These communities, often far from formal health services, develop their own strategies based on traditional knowledge, transmitted orally from generation to generation. Objectives: To understand the knowledge and practices of riverside populations in the Amazon region regarding self-care for acute wounds. Methodology: This is a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory field research study, grounded in the theory of self-care. The research was conducted in riverside communities accessible by river, using observation and semi-structured interviews with residents of the communities under study as the main techniques. Data analysis followed the principles of content analysis, allowing the identification of thematic categories related to care practices, beliefs, and local values. Results: Fifteen interviews conducted in May and June were analyzed. The textual corpus was compiled into a single file compatible with IRaMuTeQ®. The results showed that self-care for acute wounds among riverside populations in the Amazon is supported by a system of traditional knowledge, transmitted within the family and community, in which home practices and the use of medicinal plants for the care of cuts, bleeding, and injuries resulting from daily life predominate. It was observed that these practices coexist in a complementary way with the use of industrialized medicines and with the search for professional care, especially in situations considered more serious. These accounts show that territorial and economic barriers directly influence decisions related to the search for formal care, contributing to participants resorting, in many situations, to traditional practices.