# The symbolic-representational construction of COVID-19 in vulnerable population groups

## TL;DR

This study explores how residents of a vulnerable community in Rio de Janeiro perceive and represent the concept of COVID-19, focusing on negative emotions and economic impacts.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the symbolic and emotional construction of the pandemic in vulnerable populations using social representations theory.

## Key findings

- The central elements of the social representation of COVID-19 include 'death', 'fear', 'loss', 'disease', and 'suffering'.
- The similarity graph highlights the centrality of 'death' and 'fear' in shaping perceptions of the pandemic.
- The pandemic is associated with negative meanings and significant economic hardship in vulnerable communities.

## Abstract

to analyze the social representations of COVID-19 among residents of a
vulnerable community in Rio de Janeiro, to provide insights into healthcare
and nursing practices.

we conducted a mixed-methods study based on the Social Representations Theory
(SRT), employing a structural approach. The study was performed with 120
residents from the Rocinha community in Rio de Janeiro. We collected data
through a sociodemographic questionnaire and analyzed it using descriptive
statistics. Free word associations with the prompt term “COVID-19” were
collected and submitted to prototypical and similarity analyses.

The central core of the social representation of COVID-19 was found to
comprise the elements “death”, “fear”, “loss”, “disease”, and “suffering”.
The similarity graph reinforced the centrality of “death” and “fear” in
these representations.

COVID-19’s social representation in this population centered around negative
meanings, highlighting their struggle with the disease and the pandemic’s
economic impact on vulnerable groups.

analisar as representações sociais dos moradores de uma comunidade vulnerável
do Rio de Janeiro sobre a COVID-19, com vistas a fornecer subsídios para as
práticas de cuidado de saúde e de enfermagem.

estudo qualiquantitativo, fundamentando-se na Teoria das Representações
Sociais e utilizando a abordagem estrutural. Foi realizado com 120 moradores
da comunidade da Rocinha – Rio de Janeiro. Os dados foram coletados mediante
um questionário sociodemográfico e analisados com estatística descritiva.
Foram coletadas evocações livres ao termo indutor “COVID-19”, submetidas às
análises prototípica e de similitude.

o núcleo central da representação social da COVID-19 é constituído pelos
elementos “morte”, “medo”, “perda”, “doença” e “sofrimento”. O grafo de
similitude reforçou a centralidade da morte e do medo.

a representação foi construída em torno de significados negativos e de
elementos que apontam o enfrentamento da doença e o impacto econômico da
COVID-19 nas comunidades vulneráveis.