The context of alcohol consumption among adolescents and their families.

AIMS: Alcohol consumption in adolescence has been an important topic in the study of public health policies. This study aimed to analyze and interpret the influence of the family in teenage alcohol consumption. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative research was undertaken, using interviews, observation, genogram and eco-map, in order to investigate 22 participants at a Family Health Unit in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. The family structure, composition, interaction, communication, and religion of the participants were considered. RESULTS: The results were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis and indicated three themes, namely, the internality of the family: fragility and conflicts; among us: limits, responsibilities and hope; and the decision to drink: fun permeated by risks. CONCLUSION: The family and sociocultural context of adolescents can positively and negatively influence the use and abuse of alcohol and, therefore, can be a target of intervention in nursing.

Nurses' experiences of ethnographic fieldwork.

AIM: To reflect on the experiences of nurses performing ethnographic fieldwork in three studies. BACKGROUND: The application of ethnography to nursing research requires discussion about nurses' experiences of ethnographic fieldwork. This article examines some of the dilemmas that arise during the research process. DATA SOURCES: Three ethnographic studies conducted by the authors in the south and southeast of Brazil. Excerpts from field diaries created during each research are presented at the end of each topic discussed. REVIEW METHODS: This is a reflexive paper that explores the nurses' experience in ethnographic fieldwork. DISCUSSION: This article discusses the main tasks involved in ethnographic research, including defining the study aim, reading and understanding anthropological theoretical bases, and setting a timeframe for the study. The article also discusses the idiosyncrasies of the cultural contexts studied, the bureaucracy that may be confronted when gaining access to the field, the difficulty of transforming the familiar into the strange, why ethnocentric perspectives should be avoided, and the anthropological doubt that places the ethnographer in the position of apprentice. It also discusses the importance of listening to others, reflexivity and strategies to stay in the field. CONCLUSIONS: For researchers, ethnographic fieldwork can be a rite of passage, but one that provides invaluable experiences that emphasise the value of relationships based on dialogue, reflexivity and negotiation. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE/RESEARCH: The main tasks undertaken in ethnographic research discussed in this article could contribute to the nurse' experience of conducting ethnographic fieldwork.

Meanings and perceptions of women regarding the practice of yoga in pregnancy: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Considering that pregnancy triggers profound transformations in the life experience of women, among them the need to adapt to a body in a constant process of physiological, psychic, social and emotional change, it is important to identify to what extent yoga can contribute to this process. For this reason, the present study aimed to comprehend the meanings and perceptions of women regarding the practice of yoga during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative and descriptive study was carried out with nine women at different gestational ages who were practicing yoga in places with alternative and integrative therapies for pregnant women located in São Paulo, Brazil. Data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews and the women's statements were transcribed, analysed and grouped into three thematic categories. RESULTS: The analysis of the interviews allowed the identification of three categories 'Benefits of practicing yoga', 'Self-knowledge, autonomy and self-care' and 'Empowerment for the moment of the birth'. These findings allowed us to understand how the women perceived the practice of yoga in the pregnancy and considered it fundamental to the recognition that they were competent and skilled to manage and control their bodies during childbirth. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the practice of yoga provided physical and psychosocial benefits for the women of this study, including strengthening of the pelvic floor, pain relief, improvement of breathing, reduction of stress and anxiety, and strengthening of self-confidence, self-esteem and autonomy in the management of the pregnancy and in caring for themselves.

"The group facilitates everything": meanings patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assigned to health education groups.

OBJECTIVE: to interpret the meanings patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assign to health education groups. METHOD: ethnographic study conducted with Hyperdia groups of a healthcare unit with 26 informants, with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and having participated in the groups for at least three years. Participant observation, social characterization, discussion groups and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Data were analyzed through the thematic coding technique. RESULTS: four thematic categories emerged: ease of access to the service and healthcare workers; guidance on diabetes; participation in groups and the experience of diabetes; and sharing knowledge and experiences. The most relevant aspect of this study is the social use the informants in relation to the Hyperdia groups under study. CONCLUSION: the studied groups are agents producing senses and meanings concerning the process of becoming ill and the means of social navigation within the official health system. We expect this study to contribute to the actions of healthcare workers coordinating these groups given the observation of the cultural universe of these individuals seeking professional care in the various public health care services.

Strengthening midwifery in Brazil: education, regulation and professional association of midwives.

This article describes Brazilian midwives' struggle to establish their professional field in the arena of maternal and child health in Brazil. Despite the obstacles, midwives continue trying to claim their social space, seeking to maintain and strengthen the profession, and legislative aspects of practice and regulation of their profession. They seek space in the job market, support from entities of civil society, representatives of judicial and political power, and from the movements organised for improvement and change in the birth care model in Brazil.