Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the relationship between the search for popular care and socioeconomic and health conditions related to children discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit.
Methods
Retrospective cohort with a total of 165 children under 48 months old, discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit of two of the largest public maternity hospitals in a capital city in northeastern Brazil, in 2014 and 2015. Perinatal data were obtained from medical records and on health care through questionnaires. A theoretical model was created, establishing relationships between socioeconomic conditions, the presence of morbidity at discharge and the direct or indirect impact on the use of the popular sector. For analysis, Structural Equation Modeling was used (α=5%).
Results
The use of the popular sector was the least prevalent among the three care sectors. The presence of morbidity at discharge had a significant total effect (standardized coefficient of 0.302; p-value = 0.030), however, with no direct effect on the search for this sector. Among the practices of the popular sector, the search for a healer (55.3%) was the most prevalent.
Conclusion
Having morbidity at discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, associated with other unidentified variables, is a factor that can influence the search for health care in the popular sector, without excluding the search for care with health professionals.
Culturally competent Care; Cultural competency; Social conditions; Faith healing; Child health; Intensive care units, neonatal