QUILOMBOLA KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CARE PRACTICES IN THE SÃO DOMINGOS COMMUNITY, CAVALCANTE (GO)

This study addresses health self-care within the context of a rural quilombola community that has limited access to formal health services, based on the need to understand and value the traditional knowledge that guides these practices. Given this, the general objective was to analyze the self-care practices of quilombolas belonging to the São Domingos community, located in the municipality of Cavalcante (GO). The research adopted a qualitative approach with a descriptive and exploratory character. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with 29 quilombolas who self-identified as belonging to the São Domingos community. Participants were selected based on suggestions from community health agents, local leaders, and referrals from other participants (snowball technique). The interview analysis procedures consisted of content analysis. The results indicate that self-care practices involve the use of medicinal plants and industrialized medicines, strongly influenced by available resources and traditional knowledge, suggesting that such practices occur in a strategic manner and are adapted to the local context in which they are embedded. It is concluded that the valuation and integration of traditional knowledge strengthen self-care, contributing to meeting the health demands of the community.