[Social support network and health of elderly individuals with chronic pneumopathies]

This study sought to analyze characteristics of the social support network of the elderly with chronic pneumopathies, establishing links with health maintenance/rehabilitation. The assumptions of Social Network Analysis (SNA) methodology were used, addressing the social support concept. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, both applied to 16 elderly people attended by a public hospital in Fortaleza-CE, were used for data collection. Quantitative data were processed using the UCINET 6.123, NetDraw 2.38 and Microsoft Excel software programs. In the qualitative analysis, the body of material was subjected to interpretations based on relevant and current theoretical references. Each informant brought an average of 10.37 individuals into the network. Among the 3 types of social support, there was a predominance of informational support given by health professionals. The importance of reciprocity in providing/receiving social support was also noted, as well as the participation of health professionals and the family functioning as social support. The conclusion reached was that the network of the elderly with pneumopathies is not cohesive, being restricted to the personal network of each individual, and that even so, the informants recognize and are satisfied with the social support it provides.