Percepção de professores sobre a promoção da saúde em escolas públicas do ensino fundamental

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the perceptions of a group of teachers from the elementary school about school health and School Health Program (SHP). Guided by the principles of qualitative approach, it was used as data construction technique semi structured interview. Fifteen teachers from the public elementary school of Belo Horizonte took part as informants. Data treatment was accomplished through thematic content analysis. This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics and Research from Federal University of Minas Gerais. The study has been presented in the form of three scientific articles. The first one refers to a critic view of literature about health promotion in schools. It has been found that the combination proposed by the SHP between health and education sectors may be considered as advance, in view of the relevance of the intersectorial actions for health promotion. The second article aimed to understand the teachers´ perception about health promotion. Two thematic groups have been studied: health promotion and healthdisease process. The teachers have showed a trend to direct the health promotion concept towards the features of professional practice and life conditions of the students. They have affirmed the strong connection between knowledge and the search for health. They have highlighted the need to identify and address the macrodeterminants of the healthdisease process, demonstrating awareness of the influence of the environment. The teacher´s perception of the factors related to health promotion has an influence on the professional performance. The third article aimed to verify the teachers perception about SHP. Three thematic groups have been worked: knowledge on the SHP, school practice of the SHP, problems and challenges of the SHP. The teachers have showed little knowledge about SHP, conceptualizing it superficially. They have presented a reductionist overview of the program and a trend of considering the health agent the one who´s supposed to be responsible for the program in the school. They have affirmed to approve it, highlighting the importance of the attention to the students health. They have described the SHP as a route of referral to the health center, being unanimous in highlighting the importance of the partnership between health and education areas. They have highlighted the lack of interaction and of return from the health team to the school. The biggest part of the interviewees has affirmed not having participated of qualification and training activities about the SHP, but they have showed interest in taking part of some of these. They have affirmed to have worked the contents in the given classes. However, they have not identified this work as a SHP activity. The teachers have showed themselves worried about the low involvement of the parents with the program. The knowledge and the participation of the interviewed with the SHP has showed itself less than necessary for the full operation of the program. The lack of training activities about the SHP, as well as of bigger interaction among health and education professionals and the involved families represent big challenges to be faced by the managers who are responsible for the program.