Health and popular education with adolescents

Abstract

This study had the objective of describing an experience of popular education with a group of adolescents concerning health conceptions and perceptions about the health system. It was a descriptive study with qualitative approach, developed in six meetings with twenty adolescents in a public school of Fortaleza, from April to June 2008. With the development of the study, it was possible to highlight the adolescents’ conceptions on health and health system conditions, the social inequalities in this area and the importance of citizenship in adolescents’ lives. They recognize the problems the Brazilian health system has faced and that the people have longed for changes, however they are not prepared to claim for their rights. This way, we can infer that popular education projects which stimulate the consciousness of adolescents and population in general in the perspective of changes must be considered a priority.