Representações discursivas de Ficar e Namorar em textos de vestibulandos e pré-vestibulandos

This doctoral thesis investigate the way vestibulandos and pré-vestibulandos construct their discursive representations of Ficar and Namorar in their textual production. At the same time, aims to discuss its implications for the ATD and for the teaching and learning of textual production in the context of Portuguese Language classes. Its theoretical framework is inspired mainly by three sources: textual linguistics, the textual analysis of discourses (ADAM, 2008), as well as by frames semantics (FILLMORE, 2006; FELTES, 2007). The methodology is based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches (VIANNA et al., 2008). The data is composed of 168 empirical texts written by the vestibulandos of PSV/2005 da UFRN, Natal, RN, and by secondary school students who attended Escola Estadual Juscelino Kubitschek (EEJK), Assú, in the 2008 school year. The results indicate different categories of discursive representations of Ficar and Namorar , such as designation of referents, prediction, aspectualization, spatial-temporal circunstances , and metaphor, which reveal the influence of factors such as: the encyclopedic knowledge, the culture, as well as the cognitive components related to textual production. These results point out to the necessity of a teaching practice which enables the interaction among students, the discussion of current themes, as well as the student involvement with different textual genres, mainly the work with textual production in the classroom, so that it enables the students do acquire the textual production strategies. Thus, the overall goal is the (re)construction of their discursive representations, so that they can cope with new contexts of communicative interaction.

Ambiente de textualização no ensino a distância: o caso do fórum educacional

This research deals with textualization issues present in educational forums in distance learning environment. The research aims to analyze textualization regarding communication practices between tutors and distance learning students. Specifically the research aims to verify if the educational forum is considered pertinent for knowledge construction as well as identify subject´s behavior in e-Proinfo environment. The research also aims to understand the dynamics of the teaching and learning techniques related to the forum´s printed material. This is done in order to acknowledge discourse on behalf of subjects through the presented educational assignments. In order to address the issue, the work dealt with the relations present in distance learning forums, the forms in which the assignments are made, the way social actors interact and how this debate happens in the virtual environment. The research emphasized an educational forum used in a higher education institution at Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil. Thus the research corpus is composed by messages that were posted in the forum in the module called computer material . This module is one of the last in a set of six modules that are part of The Basic Cycle for Media Training promoted by the Center for Distance Learning in a public university at Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil. The research deals with a qualitative type approach in the perspectives of Merriam (1988), Cresswell (1994) and Minayo (1996). In order to achieve this analysis, the research dealt with theoretical landmarks related to distance learning present in (Silva, 2008; Brait, 1993; Sperbe and Wilson, 1986; Marquesi and Elias 2008 as well as Xavier, 2005, amongst others. As for aspects related to media and technological perspectives present in the forum, the research dealt with (Baranov, 1989; Neuner, 1981; Kearsley and Moore, 1996). Textualization was dealt according to (Marcuschi, 2008; Costa Val, 2004) and the conceptions and functions regarding tutors was seen according to (Salgado, 2002). In the conclusion and recommendations it was seen that these discussions present relevant contributions to distance learning and go beyond the practical universe present in electronical interaction. In the final considerations it is pointed out that this research is relevant for areas such as applied linguistics and presents guidelines for those involved in continuous education and aim meaningful knowledge that is coherent with distance learning education

A responsabilidade enunciativa em Itinéraire d un Voyage en Allemagne

Nossa pesquisa se circunscreve nos estudos da Análise Textual dos Discursos, proposta pelo linguista Jean-Michel Adam. Nosso foco principal está voltado para o fenômeno da Responsabilidade Enunciativa (doravante RE). Além das categorias de análise para se estudar a RE, conforme Adam (2008, 2010, 2011), também seguiremos outros estudiosos no assunto, como Oswald Ducrot (1984), os teóricos Teoria Escandinava da Polifonia Linguística, (2004), Zlatka Guentchéva (1994), Jean-Pierre Desclés (2009) e Jacqueline Authier-Revuz (1998, 2004). Utilizaremos os pressupostos apresentados por Alain Rabatel (2004, 2008, 2009, 2010), sobretudo, no que concerne às noções de locutor/enunciador, ponto de vista ou vozes que podem ser encontradas em um texto. Para tanto, analisaremos um relato de viagem, Itinéraire d un Voyage en Allemagne (doravante Itinéraire), escrito no século XIX por Nísia Floresta, uma norte-rio-grandense que fez residência na França e ficou conhecida como uma das primeiras feministas do Brasil. O relato de viagem é um gênero diferenciado para se analisar a RE, sobretudo o Itinéraire, pois nele também podemos encontrar a presença de outros gêneros, quais sejam: epistolar e autobiográfico. Assim, percorreremos, primeiramente, algumas abordagens sobre gêneros de discurso, utilizando-nos, principalmente, dos pressupostos de Mikhail Bakhtin (1992, 2003), Geneviève Bordet (2011), Jean Michel Adam (2011) e Luiz Antônio Marcuschi (2008) e, posteriormente, apresentaremos algumas características que envolvem os gêneros citados. Por fim, para análise dos dados, estamos seguindo a abordagem qualitativa de natureza interpretativista. Nossa pesquisa comprovou que o Itinéraire apresenta muitas marcas de assunção da RE, mas que, apesar de Nísia Floresta ser locutora e enunciadora, é possível encontrar marcas de não assunção da RE, ou seja, outros PDV

A produção do gênero monografia em discursos de professores e alunos do curso de letras

A current worry in the teaching process at the university these days is text production process and genres produced there, especially those kind of writing that is concerned to course conclusion such as monograph, dissertation and thesis. From this perspective and considering our aims at understanding discursive process involved in the production of monograph genre at the university we want to analyze teachers and students discourses about the productive process of monograph in Letras Course, considering the guide, writing and specific aspects of that genre. To get the aims, we took as background theory the studies by Bakhtin linked to Utterance Linguistics with foundation concepts in Discourse Text Analysis by Adam (2010), and finally the studies developed about text production at college. This way, this work is based on a qualitative research and in data ethnographic procedures, they are: the observation in locus, as well as the application of questionnaires with opened questions to ten students and six teachers from Letras Course. The discourse analysis from the subjects reveal us that: i) the monograph production and the guidance are form of act by language, that need take into account in its development: students free chose as a principle in writing monograph, as well as a wide involvement between the teacher and the student in a sense to turn the writing better, among other aspects; (ii) there is a need to articulate monograph project and the text produced, considering that the guide process comes from a project written before; (iii) there are a number of role to discourses by teachers and students to the function of student and guide teacher, in a way that both can see the same assumptions in teachers and students discourses; (iv) teacher s and students discourses show that they assume the utterance responsibilities by the content of utterances proposed, they also show the voice from methodology guidebooks to monograph texts. So, we conclude that this research has some contributions to teach writing production at the university, especially to monograph in the ending of the courses. It can also be helpful in developing research in this area, mainly at the question about guide final works at college

Forró eletrônico: uma análise sobre a representação da figura feminina

Entendiendo la música como una manifestación social, capaz de representar el tiempo y la cultura, junto con sus usos y costumbres, dirigimos nuestra mirada en la figura femenina presente en el género forró electrónico. A través de la lectura de los dos géneros musical y femenino buscamos identificar los discursos, presentes en las composiciones, que se refieren a lo femenino con temática y/o términos que se refieren a las mujeres. El estudio se centra en las composiciones en el período 2009 a 2010 y que se convirtieron en éxitos, es decir, aquellos que han alcanzado el mayor número de oyentes de Radio 96 FM a través del programa Paradão 96, transmitido diariamente en la ciudad de Natal/RN. Basado en conceptos tales como industria cultural, cultura de masas, folkcomunicación y género, se analizan los procesos de producción de sentido como resultado del uso de la figura femenina y con mayor precisión, sobre la representación de las mujeres a través de discursos del forró electrónico. Elegimos el enfoque descriptivo cualitativo y análisis del discurso como una técnica para identificarlos términos que se refieren a las mujeres, reflexionando sobre los posibles significados que se encuentran en estos discursos. Se señala que en nuestra investigación no predominó una figura femenina convertida en un objeto sexual, erótico y sumisa, atributos dados para las mujeres, en los discursos de forró electrónico. Con variaciones en las temáticas algunas juguetones y otras acerca de la traición de la mujer identificamos que, para sorpresa de muchos, incluidos nosotros, el amor romántico fue el que llevó las solicitudes de audiencia durante nuestro período de tiempo y que la figura femenina tiene varias facetas dentro del forró electrónico

Variáveis relacionadas ao processo de adesão a um programa de prevenção de quedas em idosos cadastrados na Estratégia de Saúde da Família

Introduction: Falls among older adults is a public health problem, therefore it is necessary preventive actions, however the adherence is the major problem faced by practitioners and researchers working on falls prevention programs. Objective: To evaluate the variables related to the adherence to falls prevention programs among the elderly enrolled in a Basic Health Unit (BHU). Methods: Was performed an observational cross-sectional analytical study. All elderly registered in a BHU and able to ambulate independently were invited to participate in a falls prevent program. The Elderly who Adhered to the Program (EAP) were evaluated at BHU; and the Elderly Not Adhered to the Program (ENAP) were identified and assessed at home. The assessment for both groups was performed using an evaluation form containing personal data, measures and clinical scales to assess cognitive status, balance, mobility, fear of falling, handgrip strength. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0. In addition to this assessment, the ENAP underwent a semi structured interview, in which we used the qualitative approach based on the figure of the Collective Subject Discourse. Results: The study included 222 elderly, 111 EAP and 111ENAP, most aged between 70 and 79 years (48.2%), female (68.5%), married (52.3%) and illiterate (47.7%). Consolidated as protective factors for adherence, worst rates of physical activity (p = 0.001), balance (p = 0.010) and cognition (p = 0.007). The interview of ENAP identified two themes: "Local implementation of programs for the prevention of falls" and "Relationship between BHU and the elderly health care," and found that the elderly who did not adhere were unable to displace and did not mention that primary care programs are related to health care in elderly. Conclusions: Elderly who do not adhere to the program differ from elderly who adhere as worst indices of cognition, balance and physical activity which implies greater risk of falling; and they were unable to participate in falls prevention program and by to be caregiver and showed displacement difficult

Uma avaliação do serviço de atenção domiciliar/programa melhor em casa: o caso do hospital Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel

This dissertation try to understand how management actions implemented by Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital in the city of Natal promote effectively the benefits of Home Care Services / Programa Melhor em Casa . The research is exploratory and descriptive, qualitative approach. Data were collected through document analysis and the interviews with the managers of the Program in Health Department and Hospital beyond the questionnaires with the home care teams and technical management unit of Hospital Jobs. The information were treatment trough categories that analyzed to implemented actions and program objectives. The results show that: the practices carried out by the host teams produce the humanization of care by seeking to ensure access to health services and solving human form; networks of health care are not yet finalized hindering the referral of patients to other units, the networks allow support from other institutions to minimize the problems encountered, the management unit vacancies allows the reduction of costs, mainly by regulating beds and record of health initiatives in home care assists in the monitoring and evaluation process of the Services Home Care / Programa Melhor em Casa primarily the epidemiological profile and patients individual treatment plan. Concludes that most of the actions implemented by the Hospital contribute to the effectiveness of the goals of Programa Melhor em Casa

A institucionalização do programa nacional de Educação Fiscal nos estados brasileiros e Distrito Federal

The research seeks to comprehend the development of the promoting and structuring Fiscal Education actions in the states and in the federal district, attending to the guideline and the administrative requirements established by the Escola de Administração Fazendária (ESAF) to implement the Programa Nacional de Educação Fiscal (PNEF). The study has an exploratory content with a qualitative approach. The informations were collect with a questionnaire applied through the Google-docs by the managers of the program in any federated unit. Were founded several results, as the fragility of the program in the budgeting and financial area, the low frequency of the Grupo de Educação Estadual (GEFE) in regular meetings, the absence to monitor undertaken actions and the absence of interlocution between the GEFE and the forums of national discussions, especially the Conselho Nacional de Política Fazendária (CONFAZ). Despite the fragilities, the work shows the occurrence of some actions to disseminate Fiscal Education in schools and universities, the establishment of partnerships and the participation of the GEFE‟s in the national meetings. With the study, it was possible to conclude that in spite of the weaknesses found in its structure, the PNEF s institutionalized in the states and in the federal district, observing the differences between the federal units in relation to the ripening of the program. Despite the difficulties evidenced, it appears that they are capable of resolution, as far as it recognizes the importance of the Program for the promotion of a culture of active citizenship in the society and it will gives better conditions of implementation

Os Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas como suporte da atenção básica: uma avaliação na perspectiva da integralidade

The public dental services in Brazil were limited, practically, to the basic care, so that the specialized services acted, up to 2002, no more than 3,5% of the total of clinical procedures. That lower offer reveals the difficulty of continuity of the attention, that is, the comprehensiveness in the assistance, particulary, the reference and counter-reference system. Brasil Sorridente search to supply those needs when proposing Speciality Dental's Centers(CEOs Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas, Brazil) to compose the services of average complexity. In 2005, Ministry of Health enabled the three CEOs of Natal, located in the North II, East and West Sanitary Districts. This investigation evaluated the implantation of these CEOs, as support of the family health care teams, in the perspective of organization of the services in assistencial nets in Natal/RN. It was a study of evaluation, with qualitative approach and some quantitative data as contribution. Dentists, users and managers were interviewed to identify and to understand their perceptions, relationships and experiences in the daily of the services. The conceptual base that orientated the investigation was the principle of comprehensiveness, in its operational sense of the hierarchization in health attention levels. The collection of data was done with documental research, direct observation and semi-structured interview. The analysis was accomplished by triangulation of the extracted content from the used techniques and sources of interviewed groups depositions, looking for theoretical-conceptual support in specific bibliography. The results pointed aspects that go away from the comprehensiveness like: low resolution of problems in the basic net; little valorization of the space in the health units; traditional models of access to health services, insufficient offer for some specialties, compromising the reference and counter-reference system; practices centered in procedures in the CEO; bureaucratic directions from basic care to the specialized service; disintegrated and disjointed system among levels of attention; disrespect to the municipal protocol. On the other hand, there is an approach of compreensiveness in situations like: increase of the access and covering in the Family Health Strategy (ESF Estratégia Saúde da Família, Brazil); larger approach between professional and user; tendency to the quantitative and qualitative growth of specialized actions; punctual initiatives of relationships among levels; existence of protocol to guide professionals

A produção das perdas dentárias: narrativas de usuários do SUS

For a complete comprehension of the effect of tooth loss is necessary to listen to the patients that have it. This study, of qualitative approach, investigate, in the dental history of users of SUS, listening to his/her experiences with the services of dental care, the reason that lead his/her to dental lost and the repercussion of this in his/her life. The collect of data was made by narrative interview, obeying to a pre-defined schema. The subjects interviewed were six (three of urban zone and three of rural zone), all of them were users of Family Health Units. The criterions of inclusion were the followings: the presence of tooth lost (total lost in both dental arch or in one of them, or partial lost in at least six elements in one of the arches); age between 25 and 59; male or female; to live in municipal district of São Tomé/RN or Natal/RN. Based on previous interviews was elaborated the odontological history of each patient. Such narratives, systemized in odontological history, were analyzed taking as base the studies of Souza71 and the proposal of Schutze, suggested for Jovchelovitch, Bauer34. The results show that toothache was the main reason for the search of odontological care. The patients confront the ache with home-made medicaments, allopathic ones, and searching for dental care. The searching for exodontics was stimulated for geographic access difficulties or for repressed demand, which as a result produced the aggravation of the lesions and the discredit in restoration s treatment. The self-care practice of tooth-brush with juá or toothpaste and the controlled ingestion of sugar was not sufficient to avoid dental lost. Guilty sentiments were identified in relation with lack of care with teeth. The acceptance of dental lost as a natural factor is an important motivation in lack of pain and in the belief that it was a simple part of life in old age. Life with dental prosthesis makes clear the difference between which was natural and which was unnatural, and difficulties with the prosthesis appeared. The limitation of the prosthesis in its functional aspect can be compensated by esthetic restitution, making possible smiling expression. Starting with this study and considering the high number of dental lost, mainly in low-rent population, which live with toothless limitations or bad-quality prosthesis which do not rehabilitate adequately, we suggested the realization of qualitative researches which include, also, another actors in heath care services such as professionals and administrators

Projetos políticos pedagógicos dos cursos de Odontologia do RN : formação profissional e a perspectiva da atenção à terceira idade

Brazil has been undergoing major demographic change.According to IBGE, the next 20 years the country's elderly population may reach over 30 million people. This tariff provides specifics regarding the process of health / disease. It is essential that higher education institutions are committed to this demand in view of the integrated training of health needs of society. The aim of this study is to analyze the Pedagogical Political Projects (PPP) of courses in dentistry in Rio Grande do Norte (RN), according to the national curriculum guidelines (DCNS) and training from the perspective of health care for the elderly. This is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach: with records and interviews. The study subjects were an Assistant Professor in the development of PPPs for each institution. The scenario in this study were dental training institutions in the newborns. Initially, the analysis of the PPP was by using the Alceste 4.9 software. The interpretation of the contents of interviews with teachers was done through content analysis of Bardin (2010). The PPPs are based on the DCNS, meet the characteristics of regional and seek a generalist, but still strongly directed to technical and scientific aspects of professional practice. Efforts and institutional approaches, involving teachers and students of the courses are being mobilized for training with more articulated network of health services. However, the emphasis on content pertaining to the health care of the elderly, is still limited when compared to those targeted content inherent in children and adolescents in all three curricular structures. It is reasonable to conclude that the historical, political, scientific, cultural and social, present in society, influence the formation of the dental professional RN. The greater participation of society in the process of vocational training in dentistry is needed. This can be done from the involvement of universities with health councils, bodies representing the dental profession and other segments of civil society in order to induce changes that generate ideas and educational practices integrative and interdisciplinary, with emphasis on continuing education for teachers, servants, employees and students. Containing conduct this process inherent flexibility of curriculum, teaching-service integration and coordination abilities and professional skills that are essential to understanding the human being and its complexities

Medo de dentista em cena: uma análise de produções cinematográficas

The fear related to dental procedures can be acquired through disturbing experiences and/or negative cultural influences related in experiences of previous generations. Such influences may be present in diverse forms of cultural expression: in the cinema, plastic arts, music, literature, and diverse vehicles of printed and visual media. This research aimed investigates the images of fear related to the dental service and dentist in motion pictures. The study has qualitative approach, which used the documentary analysis of movies. The data collection was accomplished through research in the Internet by means of the Google tool (http://www.google.com.br), using the describing words filme and dentista . A total of 44 films were found. Of these, after selective criterion for films with scenes showing interaction between dentist and patient in the execution of clinical procedure, only 24 films were enclosed. Then, these were registered in data base created for this research. After second selective criterion of inclusion (scenes with suggestion of dental anxiety), 15 films remained. As regards cinematographic gender, the films with scenes showing "dental anxiety" varied between comedy (8), horror (3), drama (2), thriller (1) and childish (1). Of these films, scenes with images of situations that suggest fear of the dentist and his job were selected and described. The images were categorized by the identification of negative characteristics that incite "dental anxiety". Then, the classification of the categories was proceeded detaching the most recurrent characteristics in the scenes: situation of fear in the waiting-room; pain; instrument coarse/rudimentary; coarseness of the dentist; torture; and low qualification technique. The waiting-room was observed as a place of great tension, due to the noises coming from the dental attendance. The pain related to the Dentistry was the predominant subject in the majority of films (14), associated to others negative characteristics. The rudimentary aspects of procedures and instruments, and the coarse attitudes of the professional could be observed too. The dentist was characterized as confused, sadist, violent, insensitive, incompetent person and disturbed. Such results suggest that, despite the technological advances of the profession, the image of the dentist and his job is still transmitted in a negative way aspect and reinforces the dental anxiety

Bioética e odontologia: um perfil dos problemas éticos vividos por cirurgiões-dentistas

Bioethics studies human behavior in the fields ofbiological sciences and health care. Tt strives for humanization in health services along with promoting the rights of patients. In view of the lack of dental research dealing with this topic, the present study was undertaken to identify, from the viewpoint of dental surgeons, ethical problems experienced in dental practice,understand how they occur and how professionals deal with them. It is a descriptive exploratory investigation within a qualitative approach. Empirical material was collected through semi-structured interviews performed with 15 dental surgeons who work both in private and public practice in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The content of the interviews was systemized and organized, resulting in the identification of topics, from which were grouped the ethical problems reported by the participants. The resu1ts indicate that many of the ethical problems coincide with infringements of the norms and mIes of the Dental Code of Ethics, confirming a dental ethic acquired during professional formation and therefore, inadequate for solving the problems that emerge in professional practice. Other questions stand out such as low salaries, competition and poor working conditions. Associated to these problems are lack of commitment and professional responsibility with the patients. Concem with maintaining user autonomy, guaranteeing access to specialized services, and the need for performing only procedures for which they are technically qualified arise in the responses, leading to difficulties in consolidating the principIes proclaimed by bioethics: autonomy, justice, nonmaleficence and beneficence. We concluded that the ethical problems identified in professional practice need to be understood beyond the dental dimension, towards a human approach. It is therefore necessary to incorporate health care management technologies into health practices, including dentistry, which implies recognizing the difTerent dimensions that surround individuaIs, that is, social, economic, political and cultural

A experiência de adolescentes portadores de diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1: seus significados e sentido

Worldwide, the diabetes mellitus is considered a serious problem of public health; it also involves high costs for its treatment and its complications. Even though the onset of diabetes mellitus type 1 is on 5% to 10% of the diabetic population, it is the most aggressive type of anifestation; furthermore, it is the commonest chronic disease in childhood and adolescence. Such data show the importance of understanding the development of this disease from the moment the individual perceives it, according to their experience, observing the complexity of the phenomenon thoroughly. This study aimed to comprehend the experience of the adolescent with onset of diabetes mellitus type 1 in order to learn how these young individuals perceive and reason their place in the world when they experience this illness. The methodological strategy was based on qualitative research of phenomenological inspiration. We applied the main ideas of heideggerian ontology and some concepts of existential phenomenological psychology to guide our reflexive path. The participants were 10 young individuals (06 female and 04 male), ages between 15 and 18, under treatment in the city of Recife, Pernambuco. The methodological resource was the narrative, which allowed us access to the adolescents experience. The comprehension of the reports was based on the heideggerian hermeneutics, whose priority is the interpretation of the meaning expressed by the participants speech. The results showed that factors such as social, family, economic and cultural context greatly influence the perception and the way the individuals deal with, perceive and reason their experience. We noticed that the diabetes type 1 may often represent a limitation, but it does not make it impossible to be part of the world with others. The data show a significant affective ambivalence regarding the content more directly related to the disease. This demonstrates the unique way which each one gives meaning and reasons their condition of existence. This research points out the need to understand the complexity of this phenomenon in a more complete manner, considering the adolescent in their timely and historical context. We believe we can encourage thinking that may become actions which are more fit to the reality researched regarding all the parties involved with the subject, such as health professionals, adolescents, family, support programs and public health policies

Estudo das propriedades psicométricas da escala WHOQOLold em idosos da região Nordeste

The population aging process increases the number of elderly people worldwide. In Brazil, a country of continental size, this process began in the 40s and happens with specific features in each of the different region s realities. This way, this thesis aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a elderly s quality of life (QOL) scale, the WHOQOL-old, in a population of the Northeast of Brazil. We sought to investigate the congruence between the content covered by the scale and the ones deemed as relevant by the participants. It aimed also study the validity evidences of the instrument s internal structure. To achieve the research objectives we adopted the design of multiple methods. The research was organized in two studies. For data collection, both studies used a sociodemographic questionnaire to obtain a profile of the participants and the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), used as exclusion criterion. A number of 18 elderly residents of the cities of Natal-RN and Campina Grande-PB, mean age of 73.3 years (SD = 5.9) took part od the study, They were organized into three focal groups (FG) in witch they discussed about the concept of QOL, what enhance and what hinders QOL. For Study II, a quantitative approach, 335 elderly from Campina Grande responded scale WHOQOL-old. They are between 65 and 99 years (M = 74.17, SD = 6.5). The FG data were analyzed by categorical thematic content. For the data analysis of the WHOQOL-old scale were used exploratory factor analysis and calculation of the Akaike and Bayesian information criteria. The results of both studies were triangulated. According to the discussions in the FG, health and social participation have central roles in quality of life. Social participation is related to all the other QOL s influences raised. The participants indicated the relevance of religiosity and were divided about the importance of sexual activity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) extracted a model of six factors. Two items (OLD_3 and OLD_9), not loaded on any factor and were excluded. The other items had factor loadings > 0.3. The response categories were reduced from five to three. After the scale changes, the empirical model showed better fit (-2loglikelihood = 8993.90, BIC and AIC = 9183.90 = 9546.24) than the theoretical model (-2loglikelihood = 18390.88, AIC = 18678.88 and BIC = 19228.11). Despite the best information criterion values, the RMESA remained above the ideal (0.06). We conclude that the WHOQOL-old presents psychometric parameters below the ideal when used with the Northeast population, but the improvements made the scale s use acceptable. The WHOQOL-old uses observable variables that matches with the participants' perceptions on quality of life. However, new strategies must be tested for a better sacale refinement