A AUTONOMIA DO CUIDADO EXERCIDO POR ADOLESCENTES PARA UM VIVER SAUDÁVEL: O OLHAR DA ENFERMAGEM

This descriptive and qualitative study had as its objective to understand the meaning of the adolescent’s autonomy of self-care and its interactions in the perspective of a healthy life. Grounded Theory and the theoretical, methodological approach of complexity were utilized. The data were collected via interviews, texts and newspaper clippings between February and November 2009. There were 27 participants, including adolescents, parents and teachers and nurses from a health unit and a school in Belem, Para State. The results pointed to a model termed ‘understanding the relationship between autonomy and dependence of the adolescent for self-care in a context of healthy living’, anchored in six categories which interrelate in their explanation. It was understood that in the administration of the constructive process of autonomy, the adolescent experiences action/retroaction in differing contexts and is aware of his/her dependence before different challenging relationships in the face of the reality of living a healthy existence.