Educational intervention using the life activity of breathing with adolescents

Abstracts

Objective:

This study aimed to apply the model of life through the life activity of breathing with adolescents at school.

Methods:

Thisis an action research carried out in a school located on the periphery of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. There were 25 adolescentsselected who answered an interview questionnaire and participated in an educational workshop, both addressing the life activity of breathing.

Results:

The results showed that some adolescents use illegal drugs and/or live with people who do. After the intervention the participants recognized the dangers of these substances, but emphasized that, they are in a vulnerable situation.

Conclusion:

Thus, it was concluded that the use of Nursing Models in educational activities enables a more targeted and effective intervention.

Adolescent; Health Education; Models, Nursing

Objetivou-se aplicar o modelo de vida por meio da atividade de vida respiração com adolescentes na escola.

Métodos:

Trata-se de pesquisa-ação desenvolvida em uma escola localizada na periferia de Fortaleza, Ceará. Foram selecionados 25 adolescentes que responderam a um questionário de entrevista e participaram de uma oficina educativa, ambos abordando a atividade de vida respiração.

Resultados:

Os resultados evidenciaram que alguns adolescentes fazem uso de drogas e/ou convivem com pessoas que fazem uso de drogas. Após a intervenção, os participantes reconheceram os malefícios destas substâncias, mas destacaram que se encontram em situação de vulnerabilidade.

Conclusão:

Conclui-se que o uso de Modelos de Enfermagem em atividades educativas permite uma intervenção mais direcionada e efetiva.

Adolescência; Educação em saúde; Modelos de enfermagem

Objetivo:

El estudio tuvo como objetivo aplicar el modelo de vida a través de la actividad respiración, con adolescentes en una escuela.

Métodos:

Se trata de una investigación-acción, desarrollada en una escuela de Fortaleza (CE), Brasil. Participaron de la muestra 25 adolescentes que respondieron a un cuestionario y participaron de un taller educativo, abordando la actividad de vida respiración.

Resultados:

Los resultados señalaron que algunos adolescentes consumen drogas y/o conviven con personas usuarias de drogas. Después de la intervención, los participantes reconocieron los maleficios de estas sustancias, pero subrayaron que se encuentran en situación vulnerable.

Conclusión:

El uso de Modelos de Enfermería en actividades educativas permite una intervención más específica y eficaz.

Adolescencia; Educación en salud; Modelos de enfermería

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents have ideas and concerns about the formation of their identity and are constantly in diverse risk situations¹. Therefore, it generates the need for measures that provide reflection on how to be and feel adolescent, but also the opportunity for introspection and self-knowledge, which involves moral, personal and cultural values². The vulnerability of drug use is indeed expressed by the characteristics of this stage, as the feeling of defense, impetuosity, idealism and omnipotence, causing a public health concern.

The National Survey of School Health (PeNSE) 2009, made up of 63,411 students from the 9^th grade with 1,453 public and private schools, in 26 state capitals and the Federal District, obtained as a result verification that approximately 89% of the students were aged between 13 and 15 years old, 8.7% of the schoolchildren already used some drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, glue, lolo, boom-perfume and ecstasy and 27% of students had drunk in the last month and 22.1% of the students had already been drunk³.

The nurse, in this scenario, is able to add to the school, at a junction of knowledge for Health Promotion and Education, with a scope of discussions, which encourages critical reflection, a place to direct the cultural context of a group or integrate experiences and learning. This interaction between education and health can also enable students to exercise their autonomy, coming to questioning the risks they are exposed, in a joint effort to better quality of life and a healthy adolescence. The Health Program in the School, for example, describes items that need to be supplied in the actions of Health Education for the school, being a space where the nurse can act⁴.

To provide health care in the context of Health Promotion it is necessary to use different measures, among these in Health Education. Health Education is the opportunity for learning, including the improvement of knowledge and the development of skills that will encourage the person to obtain health⁵.

Considering the above, the objective of this study is to apply the model of life by means of the activity of life breathing with adolescents in school.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative study used action research. In an educational perspective, action research is mainly a strategy that allows the researcher to investigate to enhance learning and, as a result, the learning of their students, but also allows that there is a reflective practice⁶.

Conducted a school situated in Pirambu neighborhood located in the extreme west of the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. This district has a high rate of crime and drug use, among other problems such as basic sanitation and inadequate security. There are also many needy families, portraying a site with different social problems. The choice of the participants gave the following inclusion criteria: study at night, learning modality Young and Adult Education (YAE), not be benefited with the Health Promotion actions by the Family Health Strategy and are between 10 and 19 years of age (age range defined by the Ministry of Health as pertinent to adolescence). Although the number of students in YAE preponderant is of adults in this school there were about 70 adolescents between 15 and 18 years old in this modality, however the collection period of the interviews was to invite the present totaling 28, but only 25 agreed to do the interview, 12 girls and 13 boys.

This education modality permeates all levels of Basic Education in the Country, it is intended for young people and adults who did not continue their studies and for those who did not had access to study at the appropriate age⁷.

There were two research periods - the month of April, in which occurred the interviews and, soon after the completion of these, the educational workshops, which occurred in the second half of April until June 2011.

The activities had as a theoretical, the Model of Life⁸. It is important to point out that the Model of Life is composed of 12 activities, namely: 1) Maintain a safe environment; 2) Communication; 3) Breathe; 4) Eat and drink; 5) Eliminate; 6) Taking Care of personal hygiene and clothing; 7) Control body temperature; 8) Mobilize oneself; 9) Work and relax; 10) Expressing sexuality; 11) Sleeping; and 12) Die.

In this article, it was opted to expose only the results of the interviews and the workshop, which contemplates the activity of life breathing, given the complexity of this topic. The activity of life breathing is of paramount importance, since it is responsible for gaseous exchanges for cellular respiration. It is important to highlight that the model is also composed of the factors that influence life activities, described in five main groups: physical, psychological, sociocultural, environmental, and political-economic⁸.

Regarding the activity of living breathing were discussed in the interview, the aforementioned factors, which influence the activity of life. Subsequently, was held a workshop that had themes such as the issues that emerged from the interviews, namely: smoking, illegal drugs with repercussion in the respiratory system, consequences of drug use (neoplasms, cardiovascular problems and lung problems) and preventing the exposure. As a resource mediator of discussion, four videos produced by the Ministry of Health were used that the media the applied as advertisements in the fight against drugs and tobacco. Therefore, its set was named "Consequences of drug use and preventing exposure" in the workshop to be conducted.

For completion of the workshop, the room was organized in a semi-circle, with the purpose of better visualization of the projection of the video, by means of multimedia; the workshop had an hour and a half in duration.

For data analysis, discursive practices were used⁹. Legal and ethical aspects of human research were respected; in accordance with Resolution Nº 196/96 of the National Health Council Both, the guardians as well as the adolescents signed the Free and Informed Consent. The study was submitted to the Ethics Committee in Research of the Federal University of Ceará and was approved at a meeting held on march 14, 2011; the protocol received the number 038/11. To maintain the anonymity of adolescents, they were named Maria and a letter for the girls and Jose and a letter for the boys.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The majority of young people living with their parents or with one of their parents; among family members, some with grandparents and/or aunts. There are also two cases of living with a partner. Most of the adolescents have a monthly family income greater than a minimum wage and less than two. The type of dwelling is masonry, in their majority they live in their parents and/or family member's residences, they have piped water and sewer system.

It is noteworthy that in this workshop, as one of the priorities of adolescent health promotions for, spoke about smoking¹⁰. The use of illegal drugs was also discussed. The abusive consumption of drugs in society, it is more a symptom than the cause of problems. Moreover it should be treated in view of the complexity and magnitude of the issue, requiring strategies that promote specific preventative actions for the adolescents aiming at the valorization of health¹¹.

In a study conducted with 4,325 adolescent smokers in Pelotas, RS, Brazil, found that approximately 30% of adolescents had some type of mental health problem¹². Therefore, instigating the motivations for smoking is a necessary action to implement preventive measures.

In another study conducted with adolescents in a school in São Paulo, Brazil, it was observed that the most commonly used drugs among them were: solvents (10.0%), marijuana (6.6%), anxiolytics (3.8%), amphetamines (2.6%), cocaine (1.6%) and anticholinergic (1.0%)¹¹. This result is disturbing in the scenario of Brazilian society, because the use of illegal drugs by young people entails losses in their formative period and in family relationships.

From the young participants, only three had ever smoked cigarettes. About the use of drugs, four said they smoked marijuana. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of experimentation or early initiation of other drugs¹³.

In this workshop, videos were used that could lead the participants to reflect on the consequences of drug use and the prevention exposure, totaling four videos. The first alerted the young on the smoking, making an analogy between the consumption of cigarettes and the marketing that involves this sector, by presenting it in soap operas, festivals, have different flavors, forms of "seduction" for the young to consume. As a participant appointed, "The video showed the youth and the cigarette".

After this, a discussion was made by questioning the reasons that lead young people to smoke.

They smoke to be in style, but it is different, cigarettes damage the lungs and are bad (Maria G).

[...] Young people smoke more out of curiosity, after they kill the curiosity about and leave it while others continue (José E).

It remains evidenced in the statements that the adolescent begin smoking by being influenced by the environment and mediated by the curiosity. In a study developed in public and private schools of Curitiba (PR), Florianópolis (SC) and Porto Alegre (RS), in 2002 and 2004, with 3,690 students from 13 to 15 years, it was observed that the high prevalence of smoking among schoolchildren, whose significantly associated factors common to the three capitals are having smoking friends and being exposed to environmental smoke outside of the home¹⁴.

The friendship, during the period of adolescence, is an important item to consider, because the relations to peers influence the adolescent. Often, in an attempt to be common to the group, they fall into practices harmful to their health such as smoking. In the discussion on smoking, there was the reflection on the adolescent in this context.

The adolescent continues smoking, because cigarettes are a ice (Maria G).

Sometimes I also smoke, sometimes as well, when I go to a party, by influence, by curiosity, by the quantity of cigarettes that I have, I keep experimenting one after and another, but that's it (Jose B).

[...] the end of people who smoke cigarettes get sick and even die (Maria D).

The statement by Maria D enabled a margin for the discussion about the consequences of cigarette smoking. The number of smokers in Brazil and in the world is still worrying. In the school environment, in which the adolescent is interacting with peers, increases the risk of cigarette use and other drugs^14,15.

She spoke about the consequences of smoking towards cancer, heart and lung problems, as well as about smoking and youths because often the adolescent feels as if they are free from risks.

People smoke when they are nervous (Maria E).

I have a friend who says that the cigarette is a tranquilizer for him (Jose).

[...] there is going to come a time that it will harm them (Maria D).

[...] there every time he gets nervous he will want to smoke because he saw that the first time he calmed down and will smoke the second and so on [...] (Maria E).

The participants perceive the risk that smoking may offer to adolescents, especially in pulmonary system, however they also stted that the cigarette has an anxiolytic factor. Epidemiological Studies have demonstrated an association between smoking and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression¹².

In this view, the cigarette can also be used as a refuge for these adolescents from their realities. The adolescent is exposed to life situations in which, they are neither ready nor feel able to deal with, such as conflict of separation of parents, the decision to opt for a professional career, integration in work by financial difficulty family, beauty standard stereotyped by society, consumer society, among other situations that influence in degree and different moments in a decisive way to use tobacco, or not¹⁵.

Smoking and the consumption of other psychoactive substances is a complex phenomenon, it is necessary to extend this discussion articulating with social movements and various sectors, as well as discussions with representatives of the scientific community and health teams for the elaboration of intervention measures¹⁵.

The discussion reflected on the decision of adolescents not smoking, having healthy habits and get away from situations that exposes them to the risk of using tobacco.

After discussion on smoking, began the dialogue on illegal drugs. The second video showed the action of a drug addict when in the "abyss", wanting at all costs to use drugs, being alert towards the risk of drug use.

In the third video, there is a testimony of a crack user, stating that the first time consumed was only to try and ended up increasingly consuming more drugs. He contextualizes the suffering of the family with this problem. Moreover, finally, the fourth video, a "Rap", in which the singer says the fear of chemical dependence and of malignant consequences of its use the involvement of the family and the prison that crack provides. With the problematization of video, emerged the following comments:

It is not only the addict that suffers, but also the family also (Maria C).

The addict who spent everything he had and go home to take something of value to buy more drugs, there finishes his money; there the way is stealing because the addiction speaks louder (Maria I).

Who used crack has died, lost his life because of it (José D).

The young people perceived the videos as a means of problematization of drug users and their dependence and consequences within the family as well as their involvement with crime to support the addiction. Families with addicts, mostly, have dysfunctional characteristics such as conflicts between family members, little closeness among members, lack of a well-defined hierarchy and parents who do not give a positive example regarding the use of drugs¹¹. In family relationships that are conflictive and eroded, there is no room for dialog.

The use of psychoactive substances by young people has increased, despite the well propagated risks and implementing comprehensive preventive and educational measures³. It Configures itself as a problem, it is necessary to identify substance abuse as well as manifestations of intoxication and withdrawal of several drugs, as stimulants, depressants and central nervous system disruptors.

On the knowledge of adolescents about drugs, they exemplified marijuana, cocaine, oxy among others, and reported:

Oxy is a new one that even has car oil. It is cheaper than crack. The oxy addiction is worse (Jose C).

Where I live has some adolescents get a pack of pills that people take to control them self, to become crazy. They become crazy there. They call it repinol. It is a little pill that they take and it makes them crazy. Those who do not have the attitudes to steal, they take that pill and and just go and do it. In addition, they don't even care (Maria I).

Oxy is a modified powder, it is snorted. It is worse than crack (Jose).

It is noticeable the vulnerability of these adolescents to know the drugs, however exemplify with their experiences as being an addicted person as well as the social implications seen by the comment of the use of drugs for the committing of crimes. Drug use and crime as complex phenomena are reflections of the paradox of the Brazilian reality^12,15,16.

The dialog was mediated by the word addiction and by the term fissure. They understand the fissure clearly; it is the coexistence of this with people that have these behaviors of wanting in anyway to take drugs. After this statement, emerged some narratives about the consumption of marijuana and the effects of this drug.

[...] they become very crazy and ends up doing what they don't want to (Maria D).

Their heads become full of bad ideas, and they become crazy and very disturbed (José D).

Marijuana is an herb that the person puts the rolling paper and that's it... forget the paper (Maria J).

The people who use marijuana have red eyes, hit the kitchen, and are hungry when they trip. They feel fat because they eat too much, but in fact are only losing weight because of the drug, but the drug is taking over (Maria I).

[...] I know a person who lives near the house that there are marijuana drug addicts. When I got here, they were almost my weight skinny skinny, there they started using it and now everybody's a ball, said they have red eyes, dry mouth and tripping (José E).

They are amused... the person gets a lot of adrenaline (José C).

[...] with cocaine, the person becomes wide-eyed, loses appetite and gets a runny nose... a powder nose [...] (José D).

The statements of the young people reveal once again the environment in which they live and recognition of the changing behavior that drugs can bring. Yet in this dialogue, emerged the statement "At the disco, the crowd becomes bonkers". Places of vulnerability for these young people for drug consumption are bars, parties that often portrays the first contact with drugs, the beginning of a slavery, in other words, the addiction¹⁶.

To raise awareness among adolescents about the harmful nature of this practice it is a necessary and important item to maintain the young person with higher quality of life and well-being. The question whether the adolescents need to use drugs, was a unanimously negative response. Integrating themselves to this dialog, there was a comment about relationship with drug users:

[...] when a wag comes with the stench of marijuana, we get away because they are a drug user. Nobody wants to get involved with a drug user, because anyone who uses drugs wants to bring the person to use with them! (Maria I).

[...] being close to this kind of person puts you close to death. If this person owes money, others will come to kill him (Joseph D).

The risks of becoming involved with users in the vision of these is risking their own lives. They perceive the vulnerability in beginning drug use and enter this world of difficult return. Again questioned about the reasons why adolescents use drugs in an attempt to get them to reflect on their not using, getting the following response:

The adolescents use drugs out of curiosity... seeing others doing... Is it good? Isn't it? Will I or not? However, by the pressure they end up doing it. Then they are screwed. They know how to choose, but not how to return. They will want a stronger drug (Maria I).

The use of psychoactive substances by people close to the adolescents, such as friends, can stimulate consumption, because these operate as models for adolescents^15,16. Adolescence is marked by a period of discovery, so it is often at this time that occurs the first contact with legal and illegal drugs. Others have said about the consumption of drugs - uses them to see -, in the sense of self-assertion or even finding one self.

After this dialog, it was started a reflection on the consequences of drug use for the adolescents. It was emphatically the perception of death or imprisonment for crime. The district in which they reside has a high crime rate; many crimes of direct or indirect relationship with drugs.

However, not all... some are able to quit drugs... Death or prison happens. Death because they owe, become addicted, as they have no money they buy on credit. Then as they have no money, the dealer comes to kill them... that is what becomes of their life. The money you owe becomes for your life. Because of 5, 3, 2 reals (BR$) they kill. They buy and don't have the commitment to pay. As they say: they come and do (Maria I).

Everyday crime and an endless number of situations involving conflicts between acquaintances, whose outcome is death or other tragic consequences. The comment from Maria I contextualizes the experience of the district in which she resides. It is known that the environment influences the individual thus young people have in their daily life situations of negative reports regarding drugs, but even with that, experiment or continue use them^11,13,15,16. Thus, the discussion focused on the prevention of drug use perceived as never try them.

At the end of the meeting, there was the evaluation. One of the main purposes of evaluation is to indicate to the student how to overcome their difficulties, favoring the apprentice having effectively new opportunities to establish their learning. Thus, they listed their evaluations:

The only way is distance from drugs. Say no to drugs (Maria I).

I will never use drugs, because drugs kills. I'm really enjoying coming here (Maria D)!

I learned that drugs kill you and kills the people around you. It addicts you and ruins your life. I adore these classes, because I'm learning a lot (Jose C).

No to drugs. The drug is a very easy thing but young people and adolescent don't use it. Because it is a path with no return. I'm enjoying the meetings (Jose).

I only say one thing: I've used and I say it is not good... those who did not use or attempt, is very bad, and those who have already used do not use anymore please (Jose D).

Crack harms the person and the family and takes the person to a bad side of life (Maria I).

Today was that crack should not be used because it does away with family and all the people close to the user. I liked the videos (Jose B).

It was clear that any kind of drug is addictive and all have the same consequence. Prison or death (Maria B).

We have learned that the drugs may impair your family and can kill (Jose I).

Today was good because we talked about drugs and had something that I didn't know on the type of effects (Jose F).

Do not smoke drugs because they kill, never try smoking because it makes you an addict (Maria J).

Drugs kill... it is a path with no return. Never use crack because it destroys life, never try cigarettes because you can become addicted and it can harm you (Jose G).

Drug kills, do not use them, you can die. Crack is addictive, do not even try, look for something that can help you or comes close to this. I say no to drugs (Maria).

The evaluations have in common the perception of drugs as a harmful agent for the young person, a path without return with repercussions in different instances in life of the family and social adolescent, as well as preventive method to not exposure to them. There were also comments about the learning in educational activity and the approval of videos.

The broader perspective in health promotion, it is important to highlight the "empowerment" for self-care and, mainly, the claims in relation to the improvement of the quality of life of the individual and the community, thus making the adolescents interested in reflecting on their life context and vulnerabilities.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Considering the above, it was observed that young people coexist with people who make the use of drugs, realize the harm that they bring, but are in a situation of vulnerability.

It is observed that the mediation of breathing life activity gave rise to a set of conditions that is associated with drug use, generating different thoughts about its harmful effects and consequences on individual and collective life of an addict.

The use of Nursing Models in educational activities allows a more targeted and organized intervention. Although the life activity of the individual conceptualizes assignments to implement it, served as a guideline for the discussions. The use of video was important to provoke discussions. It is important that educational actions directed to the life activity of breathing are contextualized the reality of group and mediated by dialog, with a view to individual reflection of their behavior towards cigarettes and other drugs.

It is a challenge to the production of knowledge associating theory, research and practice, however, it is a stimulus to other studies to support the practice that can be applied and improved in professional activities of nurses in the context of school health programs for the Promotion of Adolescent Health. It is noteworthy as a limitation of this study not performing the workshop with the adolescents from the daytime period at the school, because they experience Actions for Health Promotion of the Family Health Strategy.

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Apr-Jun 2014

History

• Received
  21 Jan 2013
• Reviewed
  13 Aug 2013
• Accepted
  19 Aug 2013