Quilombola’s Health: health perceptions in a quilombo in the agreste of Pernambuco/Brazil

Abstract

This study analyzes health perception within a quilombola community in the agreste region (scrubland) of Pernambuco based on the social determinants of health. The community comprises approximately 250 families, with agriculture and work in the flour mill being their main sources of subsistence. This action-analytic research was conducted with data collected and analyzed by means of qualitative approaches, through in-depth interviews, culture circle, and participant observation. Data were analyzed using the collective subject discourse technique. The results indicate that a complex context underlies the perception of health within this environment, including diet quality, the work developed, and the relationship with the land. The systemic perspective offered by the social determinants enabled us to understand health in its entirety, whereby territory appears as a central element in the reproduction of the health and way of life of the quilombola population. This is especially relevant when we consider that these groups are in constant struggle for the demarcation and titling of their lands – a fundamental condition for healthy living in the community.