Open-access Indigenous masculinities and health: a qualitative analysis of traditional care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period

The scope of this research was to analyze the construction of masculinities and traditional health care for indigenous Brazilian men during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period. A qualitative, longitudinal, web-based study was conducted online, and a structured questionnaire was applied in 2020 and 2023 across five regions of Brazil, with 89 indigenous men. Thematic content analysis, a framework of transcultural theory and Indigenous epidemiology were used. Five analytical categories were generated: 1) perceiving oneself as a man - tensions of daily pandemic life; 2) expressing the construction of masculinities between encounters and disagreements; 3) experiencing the pandemic, when masculinities imply health care; 4) building therapeutic bridges and itineraries of health care, between applying and preserving traditional knowledge and adhering to scientific knowledge, in the quest for a comprehensive approach; and 5) exercising health care, from confronting inequities to promoting traditional indigenous care. The conclusion drawn is that the construction of masculinities in relation to traditional health care has been given new meaning by indigenous men, rethinking the attributes, behavior and practices of what is expected of being a man.

Key words:
Masculinity; Men’s health; Health of indigenous populations; Comprehensiveness in health; Equity

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