Envolvimento paterno de homens com paraplegia ou tetraplegia: estudo de casos múltiplos

Abstract

The present master's dissertation has the general objective of knowing how the parental involvement of men with quadriplegia or paraplegia occurs in the context of the city of Salvador / BA. Qualitative exploratory research was developed, with multiple case studies. The investigation was carried out with four parents with disabilities who are between 28 and 53 years old, whose spinal cord injury occurred before birth or in the first years of life of the child. All respondents lived in the city of Salvador / Bahia. For data collection, the “Interview Guide for the Parental Involvement of Men with Paraplegia or Tetraplegia” was draw up, which contains open questions addressing: (a) identification data; (b) paternity and family relationships; (c) parenthood, disability and work. After the study was approved by the UCSal Research Ethics Committee, disabled parents were accessed using the snowball technique and the interviews took place via telematic means, using video calls, since they were made during the Covid-19 Pandemic and the participants were from the risk group. The interviews were recorded so that no information was lost and everyone signed the Free and Informed Consent Form. The recordings of the interviews were transcribed and the data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The main results reveal that the participants, despite the reduced mobility, have a high level of parental involvement, in the aspects of interaction, accessibility and responsibility, adapting to what is necessary due to physical disability. In addition, they stressed that the family is a fundamental part in the exercise of fatherhood, being the inspiration in fatherly involvement and also a support network for the interviewees. It was also found that the absence of work activity or working at home helped parents to have a good level of interaction, accessibility and responsibility with their children. Parents adapted the routine with their children, acting in activities that depend more on the cognitive and affective aspects and playing in an adapted way to participate fully in the child's childhood. In turn, reduced mobility, lack of accessibility and physical barriers, as in transport, hinder parental involvement when parents want to do some activities such as: traveling, walking, going to the beach. Prejudice and the lack of guaranteed rights for people with disabilities appeared to limit the inclusion of disabled parents in society. It is concluded that the fact that the father is a disabled person and has his physical limitations does not limit the father's involvement.