Perfil epidemiológico das pessoas iletradas e letradas não funcionais atendidas na atenção primária à saúde do município de Lagarto

Abstract

Introduction: Although guaranteed in Chapter III of the 1988 Federal Constitution, especially in Art. 205 to 214, which establishes access to basic education for all as a fundamental right and the State's duty to provide it, and already in Art. 196 of the 1988 Federal Constitution, which ensures health as a right for all, the flaws are clear and reflected in the process of illiteracy and non-functional literacy, especially in the health area, taking away the population's potential autonomy to participate in the health-disease process. Objective: To describe the demographic profile and socioeconomic reality of people in a situation of illiteracy and functional illiteracy who use Primary Health Care (PHC) in the municipality of Lagarto-SE. Methodology: Descriptive observational epidemiological study with data collected in the years 2023-2024. Adults between 18 and 65 years old participated in this study. Users with vision problems or who were unable to read at the time of the survey/interview for some reason were not allowed to participate in the study. The UBSs were: Maroto, David, Leandro Maciel, Margarida do Espirito Santo, Josefa Romão, and Alto da Boa Vista. The structured sociodemographic questionnaire was created by the researchers, with open and closed questions, through which they recorded data on aspects of the sociodemographic profile and clinical characteristics. This questionnaire followed models from IBGE, ENCCEJA, and INEP. The questionnaire that assesses the functional level of literacy was developed using as reference the Manual of Assessment and Monitoring of the Brazil Literacy Program (PBA), consisting of three activities. Results: 90 valid responses were obtained, in which the socioeconomic characteristics of the participants were analyzed, such as sex, age, ethnicity, occupation, and level of education. Conclusion: The results showed socioeconomic factors and singularities that can influence the problem of illiteracy and functional illiteracy, highlighting the importance of actions aimed at promoting the autonomy of the population in the health area.