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Análise Psicológica

versão impressa ISSN 0870-8231

Aná. Psicológica v.25 n.3 Lisboa  2007

 

Queixas subjectivas de saúde, afectividade negativa e utilização de serviços de saúde: Diferenças de género (*)

Nuno Correia Alves (**)

Maria João Figueiras (***)

RESUMO

Os objectivos deste estudo são caracterizar as queixas subjectivas de saúde e investigar em que medida existem diferenças de género em relação às queixas subjectivas de saúde, à afectividade negativa e à utilização de serviços de saúde.

Foi delineado um estudo transversal no qual uma amostra de 1113 participantes de ambos os sexos (64% mulheres) preencheu um questionário que incluía medidas sobre as queixas subjectivas de saúde, afectividade negativa, utilização de serviços de saúde e informação socio-demográfica.

Os resultados sugerem que, em relação às queixas subjectivas de saúde, as pseudoneurológicas são as que se apresentam mais frequentemente. Quanto às diferenças de género, verificamos que estas existem nas queixas de dores músculo-esqueléticas, pseudoneurologia e alergia, bem como na escala total. Os resultados indicam ainda que são as mulheres que, em média, utilizam mais os serviços de saúde. Não existem diferenças de género na afectividade negativa.

Abordamos neste estudo, um tópico que poderá ter implicações para a saúde, a médio e longo prazo. Julgamos ser um contributo importante para caracterizar o contexto português em termos das queixas subjectivas e fornecer indicadores sobre os comportamentos relacionados com a saúde na população portuguesa, destrinçando as diferenças entre homens e mulheres.

Palavras-chave: Queixas subjectivas de saúde, afectividade negativa, utilização de serviços de saúde, género

 

 

ABSTRACT

The aims of this study are to investigate what are the subjective health complaints (SHC) in a healthy population and the extent to which there are gender diffe-rences in SHC, in negative affectivity (NA) and in the use of health care services.

This is a cross-sectional design in which 1113 participants (64% female) completed a self-administered questionnaire, including measures of SHC, NA, use of health care services and demographic information. The results indicate that there are gender differences concerning the SHC, and the most frequent were the pseudoneurology complaints, musculoskeletal pain, and allergy, as well as in the total scale. Also, women are more likely to use health care services. There were no gender differences in negative affectivity. This topic of research is an important contribution to characterize the SHC in the Portuguese population, which may have important implications for physical and psychological health. Furthermore, these results may provide relevant information concerning gender differences in health complaints and subsequent health related behaviour.

Key words: Subjective health complaints, negative affectivity, health care utilization, gender

 

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(*) Este estudo é parte do projecto de investigação Health Beliefs And Common-Sense Models Of Illness: Implications For Beliefs About Prevention, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – POCTI/ FEDER – Ref. 36366/2000.

(**) Departamento de Psicologia, Instituto Piaget, Almada, Portugal. E-mail: nalves@almada.ipiaget.org

(***) Departamento de Psicologia, Instituto Piaget, Almada, Portugal.

 

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