Role of riverside mothers in childhood vaccination is the subject of research by the Nursing program at Uepa
The study won the Best Thesis Award from Uepa in Nursing, a fact that gains even more relevance on this May 12, when Nursing Day and Nurse Day are celebrated.
Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements in public health, with a high impact on combating various diseases. In Brazil, the vaccination schedule includes everyone, especially vulnerable populations, such as riverside communities, whose difficulties in accessing health services, mainly due to the vast distances in the Amazon, pose a challenge for the Unified Health System (SUS). Ensuring vaccination is one of the missions of Nursing in promoting health.
Acting in the training of professionals in the Northern region of Brazil, the Nursing course at the State University of Pará (Uepa) is recognized for its excellence and pioneering spirit, as well as the quality of its scientific productions in undergraduate and graduate studies.
A recent example is the Course Completion Work entitled "Knowledge and Practices of Riverside Mothers about Vaccination," which won the Best Thesis Award from Uepa in Nursing, a fact that gains even more relevance this Monday, May 12, when Nursing Day and Nurse Day are celebrated, highlighting the importance of these professionals for public health.
Knowledge - The study developed by Uepa Nursing graduates, Evelyn Rafaela de Almeida dos Santos and Ricardo Luiz Saldanha da Silva, and the supervising professor Ivaneide Leal Ataide Rodrigues, sought to understand the knowledge that riverside mothers have about vaccination, and how this maternal knowledge influences the decision to take their children for immunization.
The research, of a qualitative and descriptive nature, was conducted at the Family Health Unit Combu, located on Combu Island, in the insular area of Belém. Thirty mothers of children and adolescents, aged 0 to 19 years, registered at the health unit and included in the age groups indicated for vaccination, according to the Ministry of Health's calendar, participated through interviews. The study analyzed how mothers living in a riverside community understand the importance of vaccines, and how this understanding impacts their children's vaccination, seeking to identify factors that favor or hinder adherence to immunization.
According to Professor Ivaneide Rodrigues, the research on the knowledge of riverside mothers regarding vaccination is relevant as it allows for a critical reflection on the practices of this population. "The result can help health professionals, especially in Nursing, to improve strategies, clarify doubts, and encourage vaccination, which contributes to increasing vaccination coverage and preventing diseases. This can stimulate the development of more effective strategies that avoid vaccine hesitancy, enabling improved vaccination coverage and population protection," said the advisor.
The study can also support new research and promote discussions about the health-disease process in vulnerable populations, such as riverside communities, in the areas of assistance, management, education, and health research.
Responsibility - For students Evelyn Rafaela de Almeida dos Santos and Ricardo Luiz Saldanha da Silva, riverside mothers demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to their children's vaccination. Most of them, 53.3%, are between 20 and 27 years old, the same percentage of those who completed high school. Additionally, 43.3% are exclusively dedicated to organizing the domestic environment. The data reveal the sociodemographic profile of the interviewees, as well as their awareness of the importance of immunization.
Listening to and discussing maternal knowledge on the subject allows health professionals to grasp and rethink strategies, in order to benefit from the possibilities of reducing vaccine-preventable diseases, emphasized Evelyn Santos. "The study observed the knowledge of riverside mothers about childhood vaccination, their influence on the decision to vaccinate their children, and the understanding of the reality of this practice in riverside daily life. Understanding these perceptions is essential for health professionals, especially in Nursing, to rethink action strategies, focusing on more sensitive and accessible educational actions," she added.
The study also reinforces the role of Nursing as a transformative agent in Primary Care and in promoting health in vulnerable communities, expanding dialogue and strengthening comprehensive care, assessed Ricardo Saldanha da Silva.
The Nursing undergraduate program is offered in 13 municipalities by Uepa and the Forma Pará Program, with master's and doctoral professors. Last year, the course at the Magalhães Barata School of Nursing (EEMB) in Belém, the basis for the creation of Uepa, completed 80 years. The course also has a Graduate Program in Nursing, at the master's and academic doctoral (stricto sensu) levels, linked to the Center for Biological and Health Sciences (CCBS), and developed in association with the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam).
E-book - The coordination of the Nursing course at Uepa is selecting articles for a digital publication. Students, technical-administrative staff, and faculty linked to the course can submit texts. The works must be unpublished, in the format of a scientific article, and will be included in an e-book, which will be published by the Uepa Publisher (Eduepa). The results will be announced on June 23.
The complete schedule and other information about the selection are available in the announcement, accessible via the link.
Program - The Nursing Week of EEMB will take place on May 13 and 14 (Tuesday and Wednesday), at Campus IV, with lectures, technological exhibitions, certification for students, and raffle of prizes. The event highlights the integration between technology and the nursing profession, celebrating Nursing Day.
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The Academic Center of Nursing (Caenf) is also open for online registrations for a program of workshops, which include first aid, sutures, injectables, and collection for the PCCU exam (preventive for cervical cancer). The Magalhães Barata School of Nursing (EEMB - Campus IV) is located at Avenida José Bonifácio, No. 1289, in Belém.
Another special program is the 86th Brazilian Nursing Week (SBEN/PA), with the theme "Planetary Health: Challenges and the Critical Role of Nursing," on May 13 and 14, at the auditorium of Ueafto (Unit of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy), at Campus II/CCBS, in the Marco neighborhood, in Belém. Program available at the link.
