Family support and quality of life in elderly patients with venous ulcer in the context of Primary Health Care.
Health of the Elderly. Varicose ulcer. Quality of life. Primary Health Care. Nursing.
Venous ulcer is the major chronic injury of lower limbs and has high rate of relapse and chronicity, thus, demands complex health care. In different realities, from Brazil and the world, it is identified that the elderly are more affected by it and present health problems, which can cause negative changes in their quality of life. Due to the complexity and implications of this condition, Primary Health Care is indicated as a space to work the autonomy and co-responsibility of the elderly with venous ulcer and their family, in search of the improvement of the quality of life. In this sense, the objective was to analyze the correlation of family support in the quality of life of elderly patients with venous ulcer treated in Primary Health Care. Quantitative, analytical research, with a cross-sectional treatment and data analysis, performed at Primary Health Care in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The data collection took place between August and November, 2016, through the use of instruments: characterization of sociodemographic, health and care aspects; Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire; And the Family Support Perception Inventory. All the procedures and precepts recommended by Resolution No. 466/2012 of the National Health Council, referring to the ethical aspects of the research involving human beings, were respected, and before starting to collect data, the project was submitted to the Ethics and Research Committee of the Federal University of Santa Maria, for evaluation and approval, obtained the favorable opinion under number 1.670.636 and Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Appraisal 58255016.0.0000.5346. The data collected will be typed, exported and analyzed in a descriptive way with absolute and relative frequencies, mean and standard deviation, and inferential analysis with Chi-square test (χ2) and tests of means and parametric or non-parametric correlations depending on normality of the distributions of the quantitative variables, considering level of statistical significance of ρ-value <0.05. The literature review of the study is structured in four articles. The theoretical framework of Health Promotion bases the discussion on the results, which are presented in two manuscripts. We sought to refute the hypothesis that family support does not correlate positively with quality of life and does not depend on the socio-demographic, health and care aspects in elderly patients with venous ulcers attended in the Primary Health Care. This research was intended to contribute to the deepening of knowledge about health care and nursing care in the elderly with venous ulcer.