Condições ambientais envolvidas na saúde e na doença da população de Muzambinho - Minas Gerais sob a ótica de atores sociais

Abstract

Although the term environment is widely known and comprehends interactions among allnature components, including human beings, the complexity of the interactions may hinderpeople from recognizing that they are a part of the environment. Many ignore that they areresponsible for the environment and can influence and contribute to decrease its problems,which surround us. Besides perceiving as part of the environment, people need tounderstand that health is closely related to it. The understanding of its many events andactions can be only through a system perspective. Therefore, there is a need to consider thechanges in the physical environment, socioeconomic relations, people and their lives, aswell as changes due to the development and other conditions. This Case Study aimed toanalyze health related environmental conditions in Muzambinho, Minas Gerais, from theviewpoint of its social actors, using a qualitative approach. Representatives of themunicipal government, of rural and urban borrows associations, and of health andenvironmental institutions participated in the study. Data were collected using focal groupsand documental analysis. A total of six research groups were created and 43representatives of the 54 invited institutions participated in the study. Theme-relateddocuments quoted by the participants were used for document analysis, and their speechused in the thematic content analysis. Results showed two observed categories. TheMeaning of Environment indicated that the majority see it fragmented, stressingproblems of natural resources instead of the social. It became clear that these resourcesbring help for human beings and that the relation nature-man is an interaction dominatedby humans. Still, in this category, it was found that, although all are responsible forenvironmental problems, farmers and local government were considered as the mainresponsible ones. The category Impact of agriculture and other human intervention on theenvironment and health brought evidence that the use of agrotoxics was the mostdamaging among all the environmental conditions. It is important to stress that water is themain vehicle for the agrotoxics. Cancer was the most prevalent environment-relateddisease. Nonetheless, intoxication, allergies, alcoholism and depression are important aswell, and were referred as related to the work. Other situations responsible for causinghealth problems found in the study were deforestation and inadequate disposal of waste.The speeches revealed a repetition of thoughts and talking of the global society, and itsbehavior. We consider the development of other researches an urgent mater that can help todeepen findings of the present study, especially those which indicated a relation betweencancer and agrotoxic use, alcohol, depression and work. We deem it necessary to findstrategies which produce a more effective popular participation, mitigating or eliminatingdamage, and exploring local potentiality.