Mothers’ perception about health education in brazilian primary health care: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background Health education actions are strategic actions aimed at health promotion. Moreover, better health education practices have been linked to comprehensive care developed by primary health services. Aim To understand the perception of mothers about the health education developed by the Primary Health Care (PHC) services. Design We adopted a qualitative research approach, conducted using semi‐structured interviews, and assuming, as the theoretical reference, the attributes derived from PHC. Pregnant women and mothers of children under 1 year old attended by Brazilian Family Health teams were included. Results Eight pregnant women and twelve mothers of children under 1 year of age participated in the study. These mothers perceive educational actions as necessary only for primiparous mothers. They value the guidance of informal networks and maternity hospitals to the detriment of primary services, and they do not adhere to care that conflicts with their previous knowledge. The evidence shows that the educational actions of the primary health services do not adequately respond to the attributes of community orientation, family focus, and cultural competence. Conclusion It is necessary to modify the educational practices in order to incorporate and value the existing knowledge in the territory, thereby adapting the care guidelines to the local context.

Efetividade de jogo educativo para gestantes: conhecimento agregado e vivência das mulheres

“…A percepção de gestantes e puérperas no contexto da atuação de odontopediatras, na Estratégia Saúde da Família, enfatiza a relevância de ações educativas para promover a saúde das mulheres e crianças, sem desconsiderar suas famílias e comunidades 28 . Por aproximação teórica, o uso de jogos que exploram elementos imagéticos, colaboração e autonomia das participantes pode fortalecer estratégias educativas na Atenção Primária à Saúde.…”

Caries Prevalence and Eating Habits in Infants in Southeastern Brazil

“…These observations, among others, have led the researchers to indicate the dental care to this clientele, since caries can be prevented and controlled. However, to allow caries prevention to be established, it is necessary to know its etiology and the risk factors associated to its development 3,4 . Caries is a multifactorial disease and a dynamic process is required for its development, which depends on an interaction between innumerable factors for its initiation and progression 3 .…”

“…The addition of sugar to the diet increases the activity of caries, especially when consumed between meals and in consistency that favors its retention for a long period of time in the mouth, providing a high frequency of the carbohydrate available in the buccal cavity 7 . Thus, the association between sucrose intake and other cariogenic foods with prevalence of caries disease is significant 3,4,7 .…”

“…This prolonged habit is the main etiological factor of severe caries in childhood. Therefore, there is a positive relationship between nocturnal diet intake and caries frequency in infants [4][5][6][7] .…”

“…When a child become ill, their caregivers become less demanding regarding to dietary control, oral hygiene and there is an intensified use of medications containing sucrose (in liquid form or chewable tablet), with repeated administrations including in the sleep period, thus increasing caries susceptibility. Parents routinely blame the occurrence of dental problems of their children on antibiotic composition, however, no correlation has been found [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] .…”