944 resultados para Pre-natal care
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Urban stormwater can be considered as potential water resources as well as problems for the proper functioning of the manifold activities of the city, resulting from inappropriate use and occupation of the soil, usually due to poor planning of the occupation of the development areas, with little care for the environmental aspects of the drainage of surface runoff. As a basic premise, we must seek mechanisms to preserve the natural flow in all stages of development of an urban area, preserving the soil infiltration capacity in the scale of the urban area, comprising the mechanisms of natural drainage, and noting preserving natural areas of dynamic water courses, both in the main channel and in the secondary. They are challenges for a sustainable urban development in a harmonious coexistence of modern developmental, which are consistent with the authoritative economic environmental and social quality. Integrated studies involving the quantity and quality of rainwater are absolutely necessary to achieve understanding and obtaining appropriate technologies, involving both aspects of the drainage problems and aspects of use of water when subjected to an adequate management of surface runoff , for example, the accumulation of these reservoirs in detention with the possibility of use for other purposes. The purpose of this study aims to develop a computer model, adjusted to prevailing conditions of an experimental urban watershed in order to enable the implementation of management practices for water resources, hydrological simulations of quantity and, in a preliminary way, the quality of stormwater that flow to a pond located at the downstream end of the basin. To this end, we used in parallel with the distributed model SWMM data raised the basin with the highest possible resolution to allow the simulation of diffuse loads, heterogeneous characteristics of the basin both in terms of hydrological and hydraulic parameters on the use and occupation soil. The parallel work should improve the degree of understanding of the phenomena simulated in the basin as well as the activity of the calibration models, and this is supported by monitoring data acquired during the duration of the project MAPLU (Urban Stormwater Management) belonging to the network PROSAB (Research Program in Basic Sanitation) in the years 2006 to 2008
Tradução e adaptação transcultural do instrumento de avaliação prenatal selfevaluation questionnaire
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Introduction: The human gestation period is 40 weeks. This is the essential time for maternal psychosocial adaptation, in which there is the intense transformation of a life without offspring into a life with one or more children. The Pregnancy Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ) has 79 items, subdivided into seven subcategories: acceptance of pregnancy, identification with the maternal role, well-being of mother and baby, preparing for labor, control in labor, relationship with the mother and the relationship with the partner. Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the instrument PSEQ to be used with Brazilian women. Methods: It is a cross-sectional observational study. We followed some methodological steps to achieve the cross-cultural adaptation of this measuring instrument. They are: translation, synthesis, back translation, analysis of the committee of specialists and pre-test. Another questionnaire was applied to characterize the socio-demographic and clinical status of the pregnant women (n = 36). The descriptive statistics was gotten through the average, standard deviation (SD), absolute and relative frequency. The statistical test used for the analysis of the internal consistency was Cronbach's alpha coefficient, using SPSS version 17.0. Results: The volunteers had low socioeconomic status, average age of 25.1 years (± 5.52), and average gestational age of 25.9 weeks (± 8.11). 58.3% of these volunteers had not planned their current pregnancy. The pretest showed that 75% of pregnant women found the questionnaire easy to understand. There was an average of 76.9 (± 3.23) answered items among the participants. Regarding the instrument PSEQ, the identification with the maternal role was the subcategory which showed the highest average 24.8 (± 5.6), while the relationship with the mother had the lowest average 15.4 (± 7.7). The internal consistency ranged from 0.52-0.89. Conclusion: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PSEQ to Portuguese language were carried out with methodological rigor and can be considered an instrument with good internal consistency
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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
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The Specialized Dental Care Centers (CEO) were developed to provide specialized dental care to the population, given the accumulated needs of health since the past. They must operate as units of reference for the Oral Health Team of the Primary Care, complementing the dental procedures performed at this level of attention. This study aims to assess the performance of CEOs of the Grande Natal Health Region as a strategy of Secondary Care consolidation in oral health through users, dentists and managers. For this to try to identify factors about access, hosting and satisfaction with the service, the actions developed in these centers, integration between the CEOs and the Basic Health Units (UBS), considering the reference and counter reference. Data were collected through semi-structured interview, conducted in four CEOs, among 253 users, 31 dentists and 4 managers. It was submitted to descriptive statistical analysis and to content analysis by software ALCESTE 4.5. The results revealed that the specialties of prosthesis, endodontics and surgery were the most sought by 38.2%, 23.7% and 21.7% of respondents, respectively. It was noticed that among users aged 18 to 30 years-old the greatest demand is for the specialty of endodontics (44.4%) and over 50 years for prosthesis (76.4%). There is a weakness in the reference and counter reference between UBS and CEO, because part of users goes directly to the centers without going before to the Primary Care and the majority does not want to return to the dentist of Health Unit. Satisfaction with care was reported by 90.9% of users, because they resolved the problems needed and were welcomed by the team. But the delay in care was the main factor for not satisfaction. For most dentists, some users could solve their problems completely in Primary Care, which shows the existence of unnecessary referrals to the CEOs, however they consider the existence of limiting factors in UBS that compromise the service. Most dentists revealed that some users do not get to CEOs with the basic dental treatment done, and some of them do not counter reference users. It can be concluded that the studied CEOs are being resolutive for those who access them, offering necessary care for the population, and if they don t account with this service, will encounter obstacles to resolution of problems, ranging seek care service in particular, in another public sector, or even giving up treatment. However, it is perceived the need of professionals training to understand the importance of the reference and counter reference, to that they can better serve and guide users. It is also important that cities offer better conditions to UBS and CEOs, so they can work together, with complementary actions of oral health, seeking full care, aiming for better resolution to the users' health problems
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In Brazil, 0-5 years old children just have an oral health care system since 1990 s. Innumerable experiences of implantation of the attendance to the babies in the cities had appeared throughout the years, but it hasn´t been evaluated the comparative effect between children displayed and not displayed to the program. In this regard, the main of this research was describe the Early Childhood Oral Health Care in public health service in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil and evaluate the impact of this specific oral health care for babies by comparison of indicators between exposed and non-exposed children. It was created an experimental group, formed by children covered by program which was paired, based on sex, age and socioeconomic status, with a control group, formed by uncovered children. After filling ethical application, the parents of children were questioned about some risk factors to dental caries and, in sequence, it was accomplish an oral examination in the child. It was verified the Visible Plaque Index (VPI), Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), dmf-s and verification of caries activity. The sample was 40 children in each group. The results showed, for VPI, a difference of 7 percentile points for the experimental group, however this difference had no statistical significance, obtained by Student s t test (p=0.314). In relation to GBI, the control group showed a low mean (0.8%) comparing with experimental group (2.77%) and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.003). The results for dmf-s and evaluation of caries activity showed no statistical difference between groups. Among the probable reasons for absence of impact of intervention, could be included: (a) the practice model was the same in two groups, or the difference was very weak and (b) the oral health care has intrinsic limitations for to impact on oral health in low income populations
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Family Health Program (FHP) presents itself as a restructured model on basic cares besides having prevention practices and promotion in health as essential parts. According to that, the purpose of this study is to perceive which prevention practices in oral health are accomplished by the dentists from the FHP of Natal-RN as well as the way they have been developed, the knowledge basis to execute the procedure and the use of evaluation instruments by the dentists and by the Oral Health Co-Ordinator. A list of dentists participating on the FHP of Natal in March, 2006 (n= 91) was obtained so it was possible to formulate a structured interview. After excluding those with less than six months attending to the program, and considering the loss, eighty dentists got to be interviewed. It had questions about individual and group preventive procedures, sources of basement to develop the activities and to verify the impact and evaluation instruments. Besides that, an interview was made with the Oral Health Co-Ordinator about the evaluating process and the existence of a protocol as well as about document analysis in the Ambulatory Informations System Unique Health System (AIS-UHS), Information of Basic Care System and Pact of Recorder. The main individual activities consist on Oral Hygiene Orientation (87,5%) and Fluoridization (95%). Group activities remain at scholar groups acts(91,25%) being fluoridization done by 91,25% and educative activities by 86,25% mainly through speeches (61,25%).Orientations about oral cancer were detached on the aged group (39,96%)and hypertensive and diabetic group (19,51%), as well as integration with the health team was respectively 21,93% and 39,02%. Speeches and talk rounds are the main activities for aged, hypertensive and diabetics, and are also expressive to pregnant women. For pregnant women and babies group predominate hygiene and diet orientation. About the evaluation instruments 73,75% of the dentists do not consider their existence, despite 73,75% consider that actions have impact specially due to a increase of hygiene and decrease of caries index on the children. The main sources of basement are clinical experience (42,5%) and preparative courses (33,75%), only 7,5% mentioned population need and local reality. The Oral Health Co-Ordinator related the Attention Pact Recorder and records from the AIS - UHS as evaluation source but also detached the lack of epidemiologic surveying. She mentioned the increase of supervised brushing as a positive result and detached the hardness of the professional to act inside the family and as a team. The AIS-UHS records showed that fluoridization is more used individually and the supervised brushing is predominant as a group action, besides that educative activities at the Health Establishment predominate due to actions at the community. Facing the results, it was verified the act in different groups, special attention given to scholars, as well as focus the activities on caries giving less emphasis to other oral problems. Despite that, there was no epidemiologic instruments or data of the local reality to guide the actions and to be part of the planning and evaluation process
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Considering education a support to health promotion, care integration and citizenship formation,the purpose of this research was to analyze the perception of the oral surgeons from the Family Health Program of Natal-RN over education in health as well as their performance as educators based on their activities on the program. A qualitative study was accomplished by a semi-structured interview and a Free Association of Words Test with 80 oral surgeons from the Family Health Program of Natal-RN. The instruments were analyzed through the meaning analysis and the Central Nucleus of Vergès Theory. The results showed a lack of planning in health actions so there is no standardization on the educative practices done by the oral surgeons which mostly are focused on scholars. There was an agreement among the group according to the oral surgeons´ perception about education in health that education is related to its function of recall prevention ideas to the population. Most part of the context units analyzed by the professionals´ speech show the knowledge of education in health as an inadequate behavior change instrument of the individuals. An interesting point was a quotation cited by some professionals that included actual themes such as citizenship, motivation and life quality, put inside the speech of education in health. To the oral surgeons the biggest difficulties on the development of the educative actions are due to the lack of incentive by the Municipal Health Bureau and to the detachment and lack of valorization of the themes by the population. The oral surgeons consider themselves co-responsible for the formation of a population which is able to request its health. They also mention the knowledge about the need of the community participation on the planning of the Family Health Program actions. Finally, it is notable the need for more encouragement so the oral surgeons can be more capable and have more interest in applying education in health on the perspective of a new model in health, because once capable and stimulated they can awake the population to education importance as a great transformation instrument for people searching for a fair, equalitarian and citizeness society
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The dental documentation or handbook is a collection of documents produced by the professional with diagnostic and therapeutical purpose where the inherent information to the buccal and general health of patients are registered. The register and proper filling of these documents, taking care of the ethical and legal requirements, provide to the dentist the possibility to contribute with justice in cases of human identification and makes of these documents an essential element of evidence in the ethical processes, administrative, civil and criminal against the dentists. Ahead of this fact, understanding such requirements and the importance of the dentist to register himself adequately, this research verified the knowledge of Natal (RN) City s dentists with relation to the elaboration of the dental handbook, investigating the concepts and the importance attributed to the handbook, identifying the documents more used and filed by these professionals, besides inquiring the legal value of filed documents and the filling time of these ones. The sample was constituted by 124 dentists, who had answered a questionnaire, after having been randomly selected ITom a list of professionals subscribed in the Dentistry Local Council/RN Section. The analysis of the results showed that majority of the participant citÍzens (52,3%) confers to the dental documentation the clinical importance, followed by the legal and forensic-dentistry importance; 59,3% of the searched professionals do not distinguish satisfactorily or they do not observe differences between the dental handbook and the clinical filing card, the X-rays, the dental certificates, the prescriptions, the directions and the receipts; between the documents of common use to clínical and specialist ones, the contract of rendering of services and term of ITee and cleared up consent are the documents less used by the professionals. It was still verified, that only 13,1% of the sample register the signature of the patients in the clinical filing card, making it more credibility to be presented in judgement. In the same way, copies of dental certificates and prescriptions evaluated and signed by the patients are filed respectively by only 13,5% and 9,4% ofthe searched professionals and 50% ofthe sample, keep these documents filed for an indeterminate period of time, that is, these professionals have the guard of the handbook and they do not intend to disdain it, although 85,5% of the sample does not recognize the real proprietor of the handbook. It is concluded that a great part of the dentists is unaware about the importance of the dental documentation, and neglect its elaboration, leaving themselves exposed to several kinds of penalties foreseen in the legislation
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The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the Family Health Program (FHP) on a number of oral health indicators in the population of Natal, Brazil. The study is characterized as a quasi-random community intervention trial. The intervention is represented by the implementation of an Oral Health Team (OHT) in the FHP prior to the study. A total of 15 sectors covered by the FHP with OHT were randomly drawn and paired with another 15 sectors, based on socioeconomic criteria, not covered by the teams. A few sectors were lost over the course of the study, resulting in a final number of 22 sectors, 11 covered and 11 not covered. We divided the non-covered areas into two conditions, one in which we considered areas that had some type of assistance program such as the Community Agents Program (CAP), FHP without OHT, BHU (Basic Health Unit) or no assistance, and the other, in which we considered areas that had only BHU or no assistance. Community Health Agents (CHAs) and Dental Office Assistants (DOAs) applied a questionnaire-interview to the most qualified individual of the household and the data obtained per household were transformed into the individual data of 7186 persons. The results show no statistical difference between the oral health outcomes analyzed in the areas covered by OHT in the FHP and in non-covered areas that have some type of assistance program, with a number of indicators showing better conditions in the non-covered areas. When we considered the association between covered and non-covered areas under the second condition, we found a statistical difference in the coverage indicators. Better conditions were found in covered areas for indicators such as I have not been to the dentist in the last year with p < 0.001 and OR of 1.64 and I had no access to dental care with p < 0.001 and OR of 2.22. However, the results show no impact of FHP with OHT on preventive action indicators under both non-covered conditions. This can be clearly seen when we analyze the toothache variable, which showed no significant difference between covered and non-covered areas. This variable is one of the most sensitive when assessing oral health programs, with p of 0.430 under condition 1 and p of 0.038 under condition 2, with CI = 0.70-0.90. In the analysis of health indicators in children where the proportion of deaths in children under age 1, the rate of hospitalization for ARI (Acute Respiratory Infections) in those under age 5 and the proportion of individuals born underweight were considered, a better condition was found in all the outcomes for areas with FHP. Therefore, we can conclude that oral health in the FHP has little effect on oral health indicators, even though the strategy improves the general health conditions of the population, as, for example child health
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The Primary Health Care and one of its main strategies, the Family Health Strategy (ESF), are framed as the gateway to the Public Health System (SUS). Thus, most of the incident and prevalent health problems in the population attended should be solved at this level of care, including psychological suffering, and the so-called complaint of nerves. Nerves and nervous denote a complexity that is not always well comprehended by health workers, in such a way that the care to this kind of problem is usually inadequate. In this line of thought, the general objective of this study is to analyze the network of discourses and the care to the psychological suffering, expressed as nerves, in SUS daily Primary Health Care. Besides and more specifically, it aims at identifying the principles and guidelines of the Primary Health Care in mental health; to investigate health workers positioning before psychological suffering and complaints of nerves, and also analyze different actions and practices of care carried out in different Health Units towards complaints like nerves. Institutional Ethnography was the theoreticalmethodological perspective adopted for the work. This approach seeks to understand and analyze the institutional relationships in a particular context considering sociostructural influences and power relations, as well as daily discourses and practices. Based on interviews with health professionals, informal conversations and observations in six Health Units with ESF teams from different sanitary districts in Natal/RN, it was possible to check that the index of complaint of nerves is high. The referral to psychologists and psychiatrists, as well as the prescription of psychotropic drugs appear as the most common intervention at this level of care. In general, the participants complain that they have poor specialized knowledge about the theme of mental health. They face the problem of bad work conditions and the lack of institutional support, which make actions of illnesses prevention and health promotion even more difficult. Besides, there are different ongoing practices such as meetings for hypertensive and aged people, walk, visit, round-table discussions and community therapy. However, not all of these actions are aimed at the care of psychological suffering. It is observed that the Matrix Support, which is a methodological strategy of supervision and follow up forcases of mental health, hasn t been totally implemented in the municipal system, although it is a tool that has been used by psychologists in some Health Units in the city. It was also verified that the health care practices to the problem of nerves strongly depend on the professional s commitment with the PSF guidelines and on mental health policies, in addition to continued support, when available, from other professional who works as matrix supporter
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The years 1990 disclose the consolidation of the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform project, assumed as official politics by the Health Department, also stirring up discussions, lines of direction and new ways of care. Substitutive services to the psychiatric hospital as CAPS, conviviality centers, therapeutical residences and ambulatory clinics are implemented. This work analyzes the relations that the Specialized Ambulatory Clinic of Ribeira establishes to the services of Mental Health of the public system in the city of Natal/RN, as well as its adjustment to the proposal of the Psychiatric Reform. Through semi-structured interviews and observation, it was possible to gather data which allowed picturing a general characterization of the service: activities, technical group, joint with other institutions, daily routine organization. Such institution develops activities that surpass the traditional character of a clinic- in other words, the psychological/medical appointments - and it mainly greets the ones proceeding from CAPS and psychiatric hospitals. It offers group activities, psychiatric appointments, therapeutical workshops, sheltering and strolls, among others. The institution is composed by a multi-professional team of psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, nurse s aide and art-educator. The joint of this service with others that make part of the Mental Health Assistance network in Natal is incipient. Due to this fact, some actions and activities that could and should be developed together are just not. Although facing difficulties, the professionals of the Ambulatory Clinic of Ribeira are able to achieve good results and establish care in Mental Health that prioritize sheltering, listening and respect to the user s individuality. The Ambulatory Clinic of Ribeira is organized according to the paradigm of the Psychiatric Reform. Therefore, it offers an attention that stimulates the re-socialization of the users and the exercise of the citizenship and autonomy of those
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This study aims to analyzing the implementation of the Matrix Support proposal with professionals of Substitutive Services in Mental Health in the city of Natal/RN. The Matrix Support (MS) is an institutional arrangement which has been recently adopted by the Health Ministry, as an administrative strategy, for the construction of a wide care net in Mental Health, deviating the logic of indiscriminate follow-through changed by one of co-responsibility. In addition to this, its goal is to promote a major resolution as regards health assistance. Integral attention, as it is intended by the unique health system, may be reached by means of knowledge and practices interchange, establishing an interdisciplinary work logic, through an interconnected net of health services. For the accomplishment of this study, individual interviews of semi-structured character were used as instrument, with the coordinators and technical staff of the CAPs. The data collection was done in the following services: CAPS II ( East and West) and CAPS ad ( North and East), in the city of Natal/RN. The results point out that the CAPs to initiate of the discussion the process in the implementation of the MS aiming, to promote the reorganization and redefinition of the flow in the net, thus not acting in a fragmented way. Nevertheless, there is no effective articulation concerning the basic attention services, there is a major focus of the attention in mental health on the specialized services, little insertion in the territory and in the everyday life of the community
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Violence is a complex and multifarious phenomenon that has convoked the government to think about strategies to face the question. This work is about one of these strategies proposed by brazilian Health Minister: the Individual notification/investigation Card - Domestic Violence, Sexual and/or others Interpersonal Violences . This instrument is a notification protocol which is been implanted in all of the country. This process is in course in Natal/RN. This work is a report of one research realized in five units of basic health care network of Natal/RN concerning this process about the implementation of the violence notification card. The study aims to cartography all the process of card implantation, discussing the used strategies, the drawn course, difficulties and possibilities as well as how the researcher intended to map subjective process involved at health professional acting at violence case and the propose to use the card. Meetings were held at each unit and a daily fieldwork report was used as research instrument. In this investigation it was observed that notifying violence involves a complexity that is not present in other kinds of notification as consequence of the phenomenon characteristic and health workers are invited to act in different perspective that knowledge and instruments of traditional health fieldwork available does not work. It was observed that the notification card, as a possible instrument of intervention, are considered important detectors from process of work at health basic care and health policies. Depending the way the instrument is used, it may incentive different discussions and manners to offer health care or in other way it can reproduce control and vigilance logics. Consequently it is necessary to consider some factors pointed out at this experience, implanting instruments like this, thinking about these limits and possibilities
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Cancer goes on to be a frightening disease by humanity, simetimes,it is considered as death, suffering and stigma synonym. Occurring at childhood, this meaning seems to acquire a more intense conotation, having in view of the perplexity and godliness feeling in the presence of the precocity of events, nearly always associated to the death. A psychologist co-existence with the cancer children is going acquiring, thus, a permeated sense by incognitas , fears and fantasy, which raised us the following question: how does the psychologist that answers children with cancer lives this experience? Therefore, the aim this research was to understand this co-existence experience. Our theoretical perspective comes from an existencial fenomenology and, more specifically, the Humanistic Approach and Martin Heidegger Existencial Ontology. The metodology is qualitative of phenomenological character. The access instrument to the experience was the narrative, such as purpose by Walter Benjamin. They were carried out nine semi-open interviews with psychologists who work on pediatric oncology services of Natal-RN city. Such interviews were recorded in cassette, transcripted and later, re-educated. These interviews were recorded, transcribed and later on edited with the help of the interviewee and turned into a text. The narrative comprehension was carried out on Heidegger Existencial Ontology, on dada exaustive reading and the clipping of indicative passages of experience sense of being psychologist on this area. The research suggests that the experience is oriented of clinic kowing-doing, being crossed by implications of key thematics which indicate the care as central ontologic element that orientates the way as these professionals come being in the world in association with the clientèle. Besides, the caring experience of these children acquire the sense of true living experience, since the cancer undoes the immortality illusion, launching the psychologist to his/her condition of being to the death and with that, calling him/her the authenticity. Is is only not dealt with to experience the anguish and the death imminence, but above all, re-meaning them in favour of a continual learning, of quality answering , besides other possibilities. Working with child cancer brings news perspectives and world views, making the psychologist a more human people and sensitive to the distracted needs. And we believe that, regardless of area which actuates, being psychologist is a particular way which choose to be citizen. Is is a project that will be delimited by society, history and culture and after all, by us like human being. Therefore, we understand that the results this research suggest the discussed thematic deepening on this intervention field in order to new sense possibilities can arise giving origin to other reflections about the clinical practice, the professional formation in Psychology and other possible developments
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Embora a escassez de água seja reconhecida como um dos principais problemas mundiais a ser enfrentado pela humanidade, padrões comportamentais ecologicamente insustentáveis ainda persistem. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar determinantes do comportamento pró-ambiental relativo à água, bem como os significados que lhe são atribuídos por alunos do ensino médio do Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica do Rio Grande do Norte, em Natal. Compuseram a amostra de conveniência 315 estudantes, 146 mulheres e 169 homens, que responderam a um questionário sobre uso e percepção da água, contendo também indicadores de pró-ambientalismo, cuidado ambiental, desenvolvimento sustentável, perspectiva temporal, externalidades e coletivismo, além de inquérito sócio-demográfico. Para os participantes, água é sinônimo de vida, muito embora a relação que mantém com ela parece dúbia e, muito mais funcional que ecológica; consideram-na um recurso finito, um patrimônio indispensável à vida, contudo não foi observada coerência entre as concepções manifestadas e os comportamentos auto-relatados de uso da água. Os resultados encontrados apontaram preditores importantes do comportamento pró-ambiental relativo à água: sexo do respondente, Escala Novo Paradigma Ecológico e deixar forma de contato para participar de campanhas futuras. Seja para aprofundamento teórico em novos estudos, seja para auxiliar na elaboração de programas de educação ambiental, que poderiam contribuir para inibir os efeitos de uma cultura de consumo e de uma visão utilitarista da água, ampliando esforços individuais e coletivos para a preservação de bens comuns, como a água. Palavras-chave: psicologia ambiental; sustentabilidade; água; comportamento próambiental. x xi Abstract Although water scarcity is recognized as one of the main world-wide problems to be faced by human kind, ecologically unsustainable patterns of behavior still persist. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze pro-environmental behavior related to water, as well as meanings associated to it by high school students of Federal Center of Technological Education of Rio Grande do Norte, in Natal. The convenience sample was composed by 315 students, 146 women and 169 men, who answered a questionnaire about use and perception of water, containing indicators of proenvironmentalism, environmental care, sustainable development, time perspective, externalities and collectivism, besides socio-demographic items. According to participants, water is synonymous of life, even though the relationship they present with it is ambiguous, much more functional than ecological; they consider it a finite resource, an indispensable life patrimony, however there was no coherence between such conceptions and the self-reported behaviors of water use. Results indicated three important predictors of pro-environmental behavior: sex of respondent, New Ecological Paradigm Scale and telephone/address left for eventual contact to participate in future environmental campaigns. They may be used in additional studies for theoretical development, or to assist in the planning of programs of environmental education, aimed at the inhibition of the effects of a culture of consumption and of an utilitarian perception of water, extending individual and collective efforts towards the preservation of common resources as water