Abordagens empregadas no cuidado às pessoas com sobrepeso ou obesidade na atenção primária do estado da Paraíba

Abstract

Introduction: Defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in the body, obesity is considered a global public health problem. Primary Health Care (PHC) is described as the ordering of care, being the gateway to health services and directing the behaviour of multi-professional teams who must be trained in the care and management of obesity and associated comorbidities. To this end, in order for this care to be provided in a comprehensive and resolutive manner in health services, the Ministry of Health (MoH) advocates factors such as the availability of physical infrastructure and quality equipment to carry out specific diagnoses; professionals qualified to deal with simple and complex cases related to obesity and its comorbidities; different approaches (individual, group and community) as strategies employed in care, among others. Objective: To describe the types of approaches used to care for overweight or obese people in Primary Health Care (PHC) in the state of Paraíba. Methodology: A cross-sectional, population-based study, representative of Primary Health Care in the state of Paraíba, carried out in PHC units distributed across 168 municipalities in Paraíba, from January to June 2021, with 487 senior health professionals belonging to the selected health unit. The data was processed using R software. A descriptive analysis of the variables was carried out, with distribution of absolute and relative frequencies. Results: Most of the Basic Health Units linked to PHC in Paraíba provide some kind of care for people who are overweight or obese, with individual approaches (which encompass actions related to the user's specific needs) and community approaches (which involve any action promoted or under the initiative of the BHU for the public in the territory) being the most commonly used. Actions such as physical activity and bodily practices, as well as dietary and nutritional guidance, are well developed in the three types of approach employed (individual, group and community). Conclusion: These results show that the care actions developed by professionals in Paraíba's PHC services, in the most different types of approach, mostly comply with what is recommended by the Ministry of Health, but still do not work in their entirety due to factors such as lack of professional training and infrastructure in the units, requiring greater attention from managers in order to provide complete and resolutive care for overweight or obese individuals who seek services.