This study aimed to know the conceptions of health by folk informants. It is a qualitative research involving seven informers indicated by ecological farmers in four municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul state. Data were collected in 2009 and 2010. Semi-structured interviews and simple observations were done. The analysis resulted in two thematic nuclei, according thematic analysis by Minayo. The supported theoretical reference was based on interpretative anthropology by Geertz and Kleinman. The conception of health by the folk informants is linked with the way as people relate themselves to each other in the spaces where they live and how they view their relationships with the others, with themselves and with the environment. Professionals need to consider the concepts of health and disease in population served, and accept the existence of folk care system, which seeks to contribute to improve the quality of life in its historical, social and cultural context.
Nursing; Culture; Health; Anthropology