Representação social do processo saúde-doença na perspectiva dos trabalhadores do Sistema Prisional de Juiz de Fora: o lugar ocupado pelas doenças infectocontagiosas

Abstract

Introduction: Despite being a right guaranteed by Law and federal regulations, the right to health of the Population Deprived of Liberty is still precarious and, when we direct our gaze to Workers, among the various professional categories that carry out work activities within the In the Prison System, health precariousness is even more pronounced. An individual's health status is closely related to their lifestyle, in addition to being driven by well-being, self-care and health promotion practices. In this sense, it is necessary that health care practices are directed not only to the population deprived of liberty, but also to workers in penal establishments, due to the fact that they transit through the same spaces and are vulnerable in the face of the same health conditions, as we have to all individuals develop behaviors based on the environment they relate to, despite apparently being individual choices. Objective: To analyze the Social Representations of workers who work in the Prison System of Juiz de Fora on the health process and infectious diseases; describe the sociodemographic profile of health workers who work in the Juiz de Fora Prison System; know the social representations of workers who work in the Juiz de For a Prison System regarding health and infectious diseases; discuss the vulnerability of health workers who work in the Juiz de For a Prison System in the face of infectious diseases. Methodology: Study of a qualitative approach with the methodological theoretical support of the Theory of Social Representations, carried out with 18 health workers from the Prison System in the municipality of Juiz de Fora. Data will be collected through a semi-structured script in the participants' work environment. It should be noted that no electronic device, such as a recorder, will be used for data collection, at the request of the local management of the Prison System. Microsoft Word® resources will be used, as a database of transcribed interviews, which will later be submitted to free software, OpenLogos® for textual editing of these data. Data interpretation will occur according to Bardin's Content Analysis. Results: From the analysis of the statements, two categories emerged: social representations about infectious diseases; working conditions: vulnerability of healthcare workers in the Prison System. The representations evidenced in the study demonstrate that workers are carrying out their activities repetitively, but without due support from the institution, which generates an overload of work in addition to activities without proper direction. Social representations of health work on infectious diseases reflect vulnerability at work in addition to a multifaceted understanding that ranges from transmission mechanisms to the perception of institutional barriers that hinder the effective implementation of preventive measures. The lack of materials and the need for continuous training highlight the importance of policies that consider the specificities of the prison environment to guarantee the effectiveness of public health actions. Final considerations: Prisons present unique challenges in controlling infectious diseases. It is essential to consider the representations of health workers in the prison environment who live daily with individuals deprived of liberty and face precarious working conditions.