Methodology of the posture school problem study: an emancipation process in gerontology education practice

Abstract

The rising increase of the elderly population in Brazil has aroused the professionals’ interest from the most varied fields especially those working as health professionals. The posture changes, among others in this phase, have been the most common complaint due to the complications and the functional limitations that cause and restricting elderly people`s social participation. The objectives of this study: describing the posture education process and at analyzing the effectiveness of the alternative problem study methodology in the third age posture education process. Research of qualitative nature, exploratory descriptive, carried out from march to may of 2006 at the Physiotherapy School Clinic of UFPB with ten elderly participants. The empirical evidence was achieved by means of discussions and focal groups held during the Problem Workshop and the speeches were analyzed under the Fiorin perspective. The effectiveness of the Problem Study Methodology was verified as the changing effects on the participants´ daily activities showed the absence or the considerable reduction of pain, improvement in their functional capability and a sense of physical and mental well-being as well as the stimulus to the awakening of a critical and reflective conscience originated in the interaction of the individuals.