Percepções, atitudes e práticas de etarismo entre profissionais de saúde bucal da estratégia saúde da família.

Abstract

Introduction: The rapid population aging in Brazil requires adaptations in health services, making it imperative to combat ageism, which negatively affects quality of life and the care provided. In Dentistry, the presence of negative stereotypes and the educational gap in gerontology significantly compromise the care offered to older adults, especially within the scope of the Family Health Strategy (FHS). Objective: This study aimed to analyze the perceptions, attitudes, and practices related to ageism against older adults expressed by oral health professionals working in the FHS. Method: This was a mixed-methods study (sequential exploratory strategy), with a cross-sectional design. The study was conducted between October 2025 and January 2026 in the municipality of Brejo Santo, Ceará, Brazil, with a sample of 41 professionals, including 20 dentists and 21 oral health assistants. For qualitative data collection, the Free Word Association Technique (FWAT) and semi-structured interviews were applied, submitted to prototypical and similarity analyses using IRaMuTeQ software and interpreted in light of Paul Ricoeur’s critical hermeneutics. The quantitative stage included the application of a structured questionnaire and the Ageism Scale for Dental Students – Brazil (ASDS-Braz), with data analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software, version 23.0. The findings were analyzed considering the dimensions, levels, and forms of expression of ageism proposed by the Pan American Health Organization. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under opinion number 8.025.491. Results: The presence of moderate ageism was identified in the sample (mean score of 23.07), with no statistically significant difference between the two professional categories. Ageism manifested itself implicitly, oscillating between a pathologizing biomedical rationality (institutional ageism), which associates aging with frailty (prejudice), and affective practices that frequently resulted in paternalistic attitudes (discrimination). The belief that older adults do not accept treatments was also identified, attesting to the presence of stereotypes. Based on these findings, an Educational Technical-Technological Product in the form of an educational video entitled ―Let’s Talk About Ageism in Dentistry?‖ was developed and validated, achieving excellent agreement and validity indices (above 90%) among technical judges and field experts. Conclusion: Ageism manifested itself in its various classifications among FHS oral health teams, operating silently in everyday practice. The implementation of audiovisual educational technologies, integrated with the guidelines of Continuing Education in Health, proved to be an effective strategy for dismantling stigmas and promoting equitable, humanized oral health care. This Master's capstone project is linked to the stricto sensu Professional Master's Program in Family Health (PROFSAÚDE) at the Federal University of Cariri (UFCA), within the research line "Comprehensive care across life cycles and vulnerable groups."