Representation of self-care of health at work among urban bus drivers in Guadalajara, Mexico

Abstract:

This study aimed to analyze the social representations of health self-care at work among urban bus drivers in Guadalajara, Mexico. The methodology was qualitative, with a multi-method design based on the theory of social representations. The first stage involved active observation sessions with the information recorded in field notes; in the second stage, the associative letter technique and successively hierarchized trees technique were applied to 20 drivers, submitting the data to a classical analysis of the free associations; a third stage involved semi-structured interviews with 4 drivers, submitted to content analysis. The results indicate that structurally, the representation is centered on alimentation, presenting the concepts rest and corrective health care at peripheral levels. Procedurally, the represeentation centers in the psychosocial factors derived from the working conditions, while the rest of the work characteristics are seen as low risk to health. The self-care actions mentioned by the participants only focus on the workinging conditions perceived as risky. The social representation of health self-care at work is a collective mental construction, developed and modified through social interactions, which influences self-care measures used against the risks perceived in the workplace.

Keyword:
Transportation; Occupational Health; Self Care