COELHO, Maria Seloi. Social representations of relatives of people with mellitus diabetes
concerning this chronic condition. 2008. 158p. Dissertation (Doctorate in Nursing) –
Graduate Program in Nursing, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2008.
Advisor: Dra. Denise Maria Guerreiro Vieira da Silva
Co-advisor: Dr. Brígido Vizeu Camargo
Line of Research: Care and the process of living, being healthy, and becoming sick.
ABSTRACT
The objective of the present study is to better comprehend the social representations of
the family members of people with Mellitus Diabetes (MD) concerning this chronic
condition, founded upon the social representation theory as proposed by Serge Moscovici
(1961). In order to arrive at comprehending these social representations, the data collection
techniques of free word association was utilized with 100 participants. Of these participants,
22 responded to semi-structured interviews. The data analysis of the interviews was
completed through thematic-categorical content analysis, which was composed of three
stages: pre-analysis, exploration of the material and treatment of the results obtained, and
interpretation. The analysis of the free associations was carried out with the assistance of the
Ensemble de Programmes Permettant l’ Analyse des Evocations (EVOC) software and
resulted in the four quadrant diagram, with identification of the central nucleus and the
peripheral elements of social representation. Based on the data from interviews, the following
items were identified: the context of relatives, the information and knowledge dimension, and
the dimension of behavior actions of relatives of people with MD. The context of relatives, in
the majority of cases, included children, and elevated degree of proximity, daily living, with
participation in the execution and orientation of care. This context propitiated sharing living
experiences, of which the negative experiences had a greater mark, bringing fear and suffering
as a result of the indications of the gravity of the disease and the risk of death. The
information dimension sought to bring the elaboration of what the participants knew and felt
with respect to MD. The disease was represented as: disease of care; incurable disease
which provokes alterations and complications; and difficult disease which unsettles the
emotional. Care was a representation associated with control and to disease prevention, but
also the cause of suffering and restrictions. The incurable disease and its complications made
these feelings potentially greater. The affectionate dimension of MD was represented by
negative feelings, suggesting concern for the future and the hereditary aspect of the disease.
The genetic question and feeding were elements linked to MD as hereditary disease and as
preventable disease. In facing the disease, performing care was highlighted by the majority
of the participants, facing the emotional aspect, and non-care also were manifested.
Representations of the disease were related to behavior and care actions towards preventing
MD, as desirable modes of actions, permitting making sense and justifying these actions.
When behavior appears to be in the opposite direction to the representation identified and to
expected behavior, other representations may be in action with a stronger and more present
sense in that context and social moment. Based upon the technique of free association, the
centrality of care, of hereditarity, of the incurable disease which brings changes, and sadness
as a negative emotion were confirmed. Only the prevention representation did not appear in
the interviews, demonstrating the importance of articulation between these two techniques,
towards comprehension of the dynamism which involves social representations. Both
techniques acted in the sense of complementing one another and made a more effective
approximation of the complexity which involves the elaboration of the sense of MD possible.