[Contributions and challenges associated with bodily practices and meditation for health promotion in the public primary care system in the city of São Paulo, Brazil].
Ana Tereza Costa Galvanese, Nelson Filice de Barros, Ana Flávia Pires Lucas d'Oliveira
Cadernos de Saúde Pública December 18, 2017 DOI: 10.1590/0102-311x00122016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 65 |
| Population | 29 health professionals and 36 practitioners of bodily practices and meditation in 16 primary healthcare units in São Paulo, Brazil |
| Interventions | Tai Chi Lian Gong Qigong Yoga Capoeira Dance Meditation Relaxation Mindfulness Body Awareness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Treatment outcome Reproducibility of results Public health practice Qualitative research Social environment Health promotion Primary health care Brazil Female Interviews as topic Mind-body therapies |
| Key findings | The authors report that practitioners described improvements in joint pain, mobility, balance, memory, depression, and anxiety, and greater ease in coping with chronic conditions. They attribute these contributions to fostering autonomy and self-awareness, combining health promotion with therapeutic care, and supporting access to cultural goods and community spaces. They identify challenges including precarious integration with other health services, lack of supervision and evaluation, and the predominance of a health-sector culture. |
Abstract
The article presents an analysis of contributions and challenges associated with bodily practices and meditation for health promotion in the public primary care system. The qualitative study was developed in 16 healthcare units in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, using interviews with 29 health professionals and 36 practitioners of bodily practices and meditation, including participant observation of 31 practices such as Tai Chi, Lian Gong, Qigong, Yoga, Capoeira, Dance, Meditation, Relaxation, Mindfulness, and Body Awareness. There was an improvement in joint pain, mobility, balance, memory, depression, and anxiety, besides greater ease in coping with chronic conditions. Such contributions are related to favoring practitioners' autonomy, building health references through self-awareness; the combination of health promotion and therapeutic care in the approaches; and support for access to cultural goods and community spaces. The challenges identified here were precarious integration with the supply of other health services, lack of supervision and evaluation, and the predominance of a health-sector culture.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.