Perfil de saúde das famílias e suas necessidades em cuidados de enfermagem

: contributos para a tomada de decisão clínica

Abstract

Introduction: Social, economic, and cultural changes in recent decades have gradually transformed family dynamics, giving rise to various forms of family life. Contemporary families exhibit great diversity in terms of composition, ethnic origin, religious and spiritual orientation, communication patterns, shared leisure activities, commitment to family members, interaction with the community, as well as in how they manage stress and adapt to these changes. Alongside this diversity, new health needs also arise within families, affecting a powerful motivation for nurses to innovate and anticipate responses to these needs. Objectives: The objectives of this study were defined as follows: to identify the existence of different health profiles among families whose children are minors, and in their care, and their nursing care needs; to determine the relationship between family health profiles and individual and family health characterization variables; and finally, to build a matrix to support clinical decision-making in family health nursing, with a primary focus on families with minor children under their care. Methodology: To pursue these objectives, a quantitative observational study was conducted, entailing two phases. In the first phase, an observational study was carried out with a sample composed of families, whose minor children were under their care, and who attended child and adolescent health nursing consultations, where the families willingly responded to the health questionnaire designated for this study on their own. To validate the results from the interpretation of this data and to support the analysis, a Delphi Panel was conducted in the second phase, with a sample consisting of experts in the field of Family Health Nursing, using a different data collection instrument disseminated via email. The theoretical and operational framework used was the Dynamic Model of Family Assessment and Intervention, proposed by Figueiredo, which presumes the recognition of the complexity of the family system, considering its properties, and where nursing care focused on the family, as the client and unit of intervention, is guided by a systemic approach that promotes the enhancement of y’ strengths, resources, and competences. Results: The health profiles of five families with minor children under their care were identified, with cluster 4 registering the worst health outcomes and cluster 5 the best outcomes. In cluster 4, the most relevant nursing intervention focuses were identified as alcohol abuse, dietary patterns, oral hygiene patterns, health- k v (k / − v − ) w health status, sleep, psychological status, family process, and regulatory system process. Healthcare needs were also found to be inversely proportional to the family functioning score, with lower values of family functioning associated with worse health outcomes. Conclusion: Based on review, reflection, and the results of this research, a Decision Support Matrix in Family Health Nursing was created. By interconnecting the stages of the nursing process, the resulting matrix constitutes a guidance tool for nursing practice with families. As such, the matrix will increase the potential of the professional practice of Family Nurses to respond to the needs of families with minor children under their care, through the adoption of health practices with new perspectives that support not just families as a whole but also the individual family members in overcoming any moments of crisis.

Date of Award	21 May 2025
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria Henriqueta de Jesus Silva Figueiredo (Supervisor) & Zaida Charepe (Co-Supervisor)