Meanings of quality of life for sex workers: structure of social representations

Objective: To analyze the meanings attributed by sex workers to the quality of life evidenced in the structure of social representations. Methods: Qualitative study based on the Theory of Social Representations, with a total of 133 women from the Alto Sertao Produtivo Baiano. A script containing the stimulus 'quality of life' was applied to the test of free evocation of words. The evocations were analyzed with the four houses chart and the maximum tree of similarity. Results: It is assumed that the meanings attributed to quality of life, present in the central structure of the participants' representations, are associated with the words healthy life, mental health, peace, protection, safety, money and family, referring to a positive meaning of the concept pointed out by the World Health Organization. However, a possible subgroup in the contrast zone is evident, perhaps due to the context, experiences and experiences different from the other participants, with emphasis on the evocations of sadness, stress and anxiety, which refer to the problems faced in the everyday sexual service. Conclusion: It was present in the structure of the social representations of sex workers, meanings focused on healthy life and financial resources (important for their and their family's survival) that refer to the conceptual and attitudinal aspects that shape the concept of quality of life.