Brazil is undergoing a transitional demographic process. One can see the reduction of birth rates and the increase of life expectancy. As undesirable consequences of populational aging, without delivering better health care, it is possible to notice: an elevation of morbidity through chronic diseases, an increasing demand upon health services, mainly public health services and, in addition, lower standards of quality of life regarding poor old-aged population. The presence of illness in peoples’ lives unlashes new arrangements related to personal values, life goals and perceptions. The changes brought by illness to individual and their social group influence the development of coping strategies and new social roles. These factors allow unexpected living experience to be adjusted to novel situations and to the possible strangeness that come across the patients’ lives. These elements hinder attempts to put into practice health promotional and preventive measures.
Counseling; Culture; Arterial hypertension; Perception