Saúde pública e mudanças de comportamento: uma questão contemporânea

Abstract

Most cardiovascular disease risk factors can be modified through life-style changes. Choices of habits and behavior are in fact heavily influenced by concepts of normality and social values. However, social influences fail to fully explain these choices, insofar as health-related habits are also shaped by personal experience. The main limitations of public health practice can probably be found at this subjective level. This article emphasizes the need to consider determinants of human behavior at different levels, increasingly important for strategies to promote health and prevent disease, or at least delay its onset. The primary focus is to influence rules and laws aimed at protecting life. The article also discusses possible strategies for translating scientific knowledge into public health action, avoiding the restriction to the "healthy life" regulatory role. Finally, participation by public health professionals is suggested in places where population groups share life experiences, such as workplaces, schools, and churches, developing approaches which include those experiences as well as fears and hopes related to health. Scientific facts might thus be transformed into more familiar elements of everyday life.

Aspectos de saúde coletiva e ocupacional associados à gestão dos resíduos sólidos municipais

“…A interação destes fatores com a exposição ocupacional pode aumentar o risco dos trabalhadores (Anjos & Ferreira, 2000). Na coleta domiciliar, por exemplo, as características do processo de trabalho podem determinar hábitos alimentares bastante irregulares para os garis (tanto com relação ao horário como com relação à qualidade do alimento ingerido) que, associados a outros hábitos como o tabagismo e o consumo de álcool, podem ter efeitos deletérios à sua saúde, bem como ampliar os riscos de acidentes (Chor, 1999;Lima et al, 1997).…”

Práticas alimentares associadas ao baixo risco cardiometabólico em mulheres obesas assistidas em ambulatórios de referência do Sistema Único de Saúde: estudo de caso-controle

“…13 Alguns estudos têm evidenciado a relação entre dieta rica em gorduras saturadas e trans e riscos cardiometabólicos. 27,28 Embora o acesso a informações sobre uma alimentação saudável possa contribuir para minimizar os riscos de obesidade e suas complicações, sabe-se que hábitos relacionados à saúde, geralmente, são mediados pela cultura e por critérios pessoais de escolha, 29 nem sempre fáceis de serem modificados. Mudanças nos padrões de comportamento relacionados à saúde dependem não apenas de decisões individuais como também de ambientes que favoreçam tais mudanças.…”

Accumulated knowledge and prevention practices in oral health

“…33 Therefore, the author concluded that the prevalence of heavy alcohol drinkers may be predicted by the mean alcohol ingestion of the population, or that the prevalence of obesity may be predicted by the mean weight of the population. It was concluded that the habits and values of society are inseparable from its "deviations".…”

“…This led to an evolvement from the concept of individual risk-risk group to the concept of social vulnerability-population in general. 33 The risk is probabilistic and involves determining the mathematical chances of acquiring a disease in a certain group, based on the premise that the ex-posed individual may be affected. The vulnerability addresses the potential of acquiring or not acquiring a disease in a certain environment, which is defined as plausibility.…”

“…The choices made after receiving information may follow a rationale related to the life of each individual, and not the scientific reasoning that is expected to be followed. 33 …”