Avaliação do conhecimento dos profissionais da atenção primária à saúde sobre introdução alimentar infantil

Abstract

Childhood is a period of intense growth and development, as well as vulnerability, therefore, it is necessary to provide adequate monitoring in order to ensure that this moment occurs in the best possible way. An important aspect for proper growth and development is food. From the 6th month of life, the moment of food introduction (AI) begins, which, when done correctly, allows an adequate energy, macro and micronutrient supply. In this context, health professionals in Primary Health Care (PHC) responsible for conducting Growth and Development (CeD) consultations must be prepared to provide guidance on feeding during this phase. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge related to nutritional guidelines on AI by health professionals working in PHC during CE consultations. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study developed with PHC health professionals responsible for CeD consultations in the city of Currais Novos, RN. These professionals answered, online, a semi-structured questionnaire divided into 4 parts: sociodemographic and professional; b) professional autonomy and self-efficacy; c) knowledge about food introduction and c) Questions about food introduction. Online educational material was created based on the Food Guide for Brazilian children under 2 years old, to be distributed among PHC professionals in the city. The data were tabulated in a spreadsheet program and analyzed in a SPSS statistical package through the description of the sample profile using absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies. For the quantitative variables, measures of central tendency (mean) and dispersion (standard deviation) were used. The professionals' knowledge about AI was classified according to the percentage of correct answers in 4 categories: insufficient (<30%), reasonable (≥30 <50%), good (≥50 <70%) and very good (≥70%). The doubts listed by the professionals were categorized and evaluated by frequency. Results: Most of the sample (60.9%) was composed of nurses. None of the professionals took a course in the field of AI and more than half (60.9%) did not have access to the Food Guide. Most of them feel safe to pass on information about AI but have doubts and try to study the topic. As for the knowledge about AI, the answers found for each statement presented obtained between 21.7 to 100% of correctness, up to 39.1% of errors and up to 60.9% of answers “I don't know”. Regarding the classification of the professionals' knowledge, most (52.2%; n = 12) were classified as “Good” knowledge, with the level of knowledge “Very good” composed predominantly by nurses (87.2%). As for the professionals' doubts, 15 doubts were listed, of which 5 appeared more frequently, among them: quantity (n = 12) and types of food to be offered (n = 6), when the offer starts (n = 3), use of teas (n = 2) and quantity of water to be offered (n = 2). Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that although most professionals have “Good” or “Very good” knowledge about AI, there is still a need for further study on the subject due to its relevance, as well as demonstrating the importance of multiprofessional work for strengthening health actions and knowledge sharing.