The symbolic-representational construction of COVID-19 in vulnerable population groups.
Denize Cristina de Oliveira, Vanessa Bittencourt Ribeiro, Yndira Ita Machado and 5 others
PMID 40105643WHAT IT FOUND
Residents of Rocinha, a vulnerable Rio community, linked COVID-19 with death, fear, loss, illness and suffering.
Death was the most frequent word. They also named words such as mask, cure, hospital and vaccine. The study reports perceptions, not effects.
Key findings
01Residents' most central words about COVID-19 were death, fear, loss, illness and suffering.
02Death was cited 70 times and was the most readily evoked word.
03Other words residents gave included sadness, anxiety, cure, mask, unemployment, hunger, hospital, vaccine and poverty.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were selected intentionally from one community, so the words may not represent other vulnerable groups. The authors said the sample size did not allow comparison between people who had and had not reported contracting COVID-19. The similarity graph is labelled 115, while the study reports 120 participants. The study reports perceptions, not outcomes of care.
Declared interests
The study was funded by CNPq, FAPERJ, CAPES, UERJ and the City of Rio de Janeiro health department. No separate competing interest statement is given.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these perceptions as evidence that a nursing intervention works or as a pattern for all favela residents. The sample was intentionally selected from one community, and the study reports themes, not effects.