Objetivo: Comprender los significados que para los adultos mayores tiene la participación social en salud en un barrio de la localidad de Chapinero, Bogotá, Colombia. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo en salud con un grupo de veinte adultos mayores del barrio San Martín de Porres, perteneciente a una localidad de Bogotá. Los grupos focales y el diario de campo fueron las herramientas utilizadas para recolectar la información en diferentes encuentros con el grupo. Resultados: El análisis permitió extraer un tema central: Participación social en salud: la lucha por hacernos visibles y alcanzar la salud, y tres categorías: 1) participación social en salud: todos buscamos la visibilidad para salir adelante; 2) nuestra historia de participación social en salud: encontrando caminos para podernos expresar, y 3) experiencias de participación social en salud: buscando oportunidades para alcanzar la salud, que finalmente son un reflejo de lo expresado por los adultos mayores, quienes desde su experiencia relatan la constante búsqueda de espacios en los que se les brinde trato digno, puedan expresar sus ideas, opiniones y necesidades, y que estas sean tenidas en cuenta por la sociedad. Conclusiones: Los adultos mayores construyeron el concepto de participación social en salud a partir de diversos elementos, que evidencian la presencia de diferentes grados de participación ligados a los diferentes roles dentro del grupo. Comprender esto favorece el ejercicio de su autonomía en la sociedad, la integralidad de la atención en salud y la planificación adecuada del desarrollo de un país.ABSTRACTObjective: Understand the meanings that, for older adults, has the social participation on health in a neighborhood from the locality of Chapinero, Bogota,  Colombia. Materials and Methods: a qualitative study on health was conducted with a group of twenty senior citizens from the neighborhood San Martin de Porres, from Bogotá. The focus groups and the field diary were the tools used to collect the information in different meetings with the group. Results: The analysis drew a central theme: Social participation in health: the struggle to become visible and attain health, and three categories: 1) social participation in health: we all seek visibility to move forward , 2) our history of social participation in health: finding ways to express ourselves, and 3) experiences of social participation in health: seeking opportunities to attain health, which ultimately is a reflection of that expressed by the elderly people, who, from their experience, expressed their constant search of spaces where they could be treated in a humane and dignified manner, a place where they could express their ideas, opinions and needs, so they could be taken into account by the society. Conclusions: The older adults built the concept of social participation in health from different elements, evidencing the presence of several degrees of participation linked to different roles within the group. This understanding favors the exercise of their autonomy within society, the integrality of health care and the adequate planning of the development of a country. 

Objective: Understand the meanings that, for older adults, has the social participation on health in a neighborhood from the locality of Chapinero, Bogota, Colombia. Materials and Methods: a qualitative study on health was conducted with a group of twenty senior citizens from the neighborhood San Martin de Porres, from Bogotá. The focus groups and the field diary were the tools used to collect the information in different meetings with the group. Results: The analysis drew a central theme: Social participation in health: the struggle to become visible and attain health, and three categories: 1) social participation in health: we all seek visibility to move forward , 2) our history of social participation in health: finding ways to express ourselves, and 3) experiences of social participation in health: seeking opportunities to attain health, which ultimately is a reflection of that expressed by the elderly people, who, from their experience, expressed their constant search of spaces where they could be treated in a humane and dignified manner, a place where they could express their ideas, opinions and needs, so they could be taken into account by the society. Conclusions: The older adults built the concept of social participation in health from different elements, evidencing the presence of several degrees of participation linked to different roles within the group. This understanding favors the exercise of their autonomy within society, the integrality of health care and the adequate planning of the development of a country.