Reflexões sobre saúde com imigrantes haitianos pelo Itinerário de Pesquisa de Paulo Freire

This study sought to understand the concept of health of Haitian immigrants and their possibilities to promote health in the face of the vulnerabilities they experience. Qualitative, participatory action research, based on Paulo Freire’s Research Itinerary, consisting of three phases: thematic investigation; coding and decoding; critical unveiling. It included 10 Haitian immigrants, students at a federal university in the south of Brazil. Through Culture Circles, it was found that the concept of health is heterogeneous for Haitians, constituting an absence of disease, well-being, happiness, family, spirituality, food and work. Haitians were motivated to promote health through healthy eating, physical exercise, language improvement and organization of time to enable leisure. It is concluded that the participants reflected on their context, seeking strategies to promote health, mutually empowering each other. This was driven by the possibility of transforming their realities through new meanings about health, seeking to promote quality of life.