Experiences and expectations of obese older people on the care received in the primary health care network

Abstract

Objective: to understand the experiences and expectations of obese elderly people on the care they received in the primary health care network. Methods: phenomenological study, in which 16 obese elderly people living in a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were interviewed. Their statements were organized into categories and analyzed according to Alfred Schütz’s social phenomenology and thematic literature. Results: the following categories emerged: “Care neglected to obese elderly people in the primary health care network”, “Group activities as a way to provide primary health care to obese elderly people: a present past”, and “Qualified longitudinal care, centered in the needs of obese elderly people”. Final considerations: offering comprehensive and longitudinal primary health care to obese older people was difficult, and there was instability in the consolidation of public policies, which pointed out the need for effective bonds between different healthcare network services and between professionals and users.