Promoting cardiovascular health through the representation of adolescents on eating habits and physical activity practice / Promoção da saúde cardiovascular a partir da representação de adolescentes sobre hábitos alimentares e prática de atividade física

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiologic studies demonstrated that the cardiovascular disease and its complications are associated with peoples life style. There are evidences that the atherosclerotic process begins in infancy and that its prevention can be more effective if it is precociously started by taking educative actions concerning health, which aim at promoting regular physical activity practice and the change of eating habits. OBJECTIVE: Observe the adolescentsrepresentations on eating habits and physical activities practices to promote cardiovascular health. Verify the techniques applied in the teaching - learning process, based on Paulo Freire, Pichon- Rivière, Prochaska and Di Clemente and together with the adolescents reflect on the primary prevention of the risks related to these representations. Test the hypothesis that the presence of the cardiovascular disease in the family influences in the representations observed. METHODS: Students of the 7th. grade of a public elementary school of São Paulo were surveyed by means of an epidemiologic questionnaire to evaluate the risks associated with their life style. Two different groups of students, chosen according to the presence of cardiovascular disease in their parents were followed during ten sections, when educative dynamics were applied. RESULTS: Prochaska and Di Clementes matrix enabled the evaluation of the representations related to eating and physical activity. The representations were modified in both groups, which changed from pre- contemplation stage to contemplation stage. However, the ten group meetings were not enough for the groups to keep in the stage of preparation for the change, oscillating to the stage of contemplation. The analyses made by Pichon-Rivière?s matrix demonstrates that the learning process in the group which belongs to a family with no risk of cardiovascular disease presents a clear constructed knowledge on the proposed themes, whereas the group belonging to families under such risks has a pre- existing knowledge and acquires new concepts more slowly, justifying the different approaches applied to the activities of the groups in this study. CONCLUSION: The intervention by means of educative groups based on Paulo Freire, Pichon-Rivière, Prochaska and Di Clemente was useful to observe the representations of the adolescents on eating habits and physical activities practices to promote cardiovascular health. During the activities of the educative groups it was possible to evaluate the adolescents pre-existing information as well as establish a constructive dialogue for a primary prevention of the risk factors related to these representations.

ASSUNTO(S)

promoção da saúde cardiovascular diseases/prevention &control doenças cardiovasculares/prevenção &controle life style learning alimentação estilo de vida adolescent motor activity aprendizagem health promotion atividade física feeding adolescente

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