Social representations of disease, uses and meanings attributed to Integrative and Complementary Practices by students

Abstract

The objective of this study was to apprehend the social representations of university students about disease and to analyze the uses and meanings conferred to Integrative and Complementary Practices by them. To capture other ideas that emerge from their social context can be the key to the health promotion and therapeutic encounter. This is a qualitative research based on the Theory of Social Representations. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The majority of the students declared to be attending the first semester of the course, in the age group of 18 to 24 years old and has a religion. Imbalance was the word most associated to disease, followed by pain, illness and sadness. Massage was the most used practice. Students have related integrative practices to the production of benefits to life, health and maintenance or achievement of individual quality of life. The answers suggest that students believe in the efficacy of that practices, considering them as an object for health’s promotion, prevention and recovery. Understanding how students think about disease and use of those practices collaborate to assign meanings to therapeutic projects organized in health system, directing the health care to construction of integral care.