Mulheres imigrantes: um estudo sobre os determinantes sociais de saúde

Abstract

Background: The increase in female migration to Southern Brazil requires understanding the factors that shape access and quality of care in Primary Health Care (PHC), the gateway to the Unified Health System (SUS). These women face multiple vulnerabilities (socioeconomic, cultural, and gender) inherent to the migratory process. Objective: To analyze the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) that impact the health access and care of immigrant women attended in PHC in the municipality of Marau, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Methodology: Qualitative and descriptive study. Data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically, in light of the Dahlgren & Whitehead Model. Results: The study included 23 women, with an average age of 32 years, 20 of whom were Venezuelan. The participants were predominantly self-declared brown/mixed-race (65.2%) and mostly had completed High School or Higher Education. The sample showed high socioeconomic vulnerability, with 69.5% of participants reporting a family income of up to two minimum wages, despite the prevalence of formal employment (56.5%) and domestic overcrowding (average of 3.7 people per household). The analysis by SDH layers revealed that migration was driven by systemic precariousness in the countries of origin (political instability, food insecurity, and health collapse). At the destination, there was occupational downgrading and domestic overcrowding, but with a perceived better access to SUS and work in Southern Brazil compared to other regions. Support networks (family, religious, and institutional) emerged as crucial elements for social integration and access to care in PHC. Conclusions: Socioeconomic, cultural, and political conditions decisively shaped the health of immigrant women. Recognizing these vulnerabilities is essential to subsidize public policies and strengthen strategies for welcoming and equity in PHC.