Construção e validação de uma cartilha educativa sobre alimentação saudável para a comunidade surda

Abstract

Hearing impairment is among the most prevalent disabilities, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In the context of medical care, the difficulty in fully attending to deaf patients represents a significant public health issue. Thus, it is necessary to develop health education tools that promote the inclusion of the deaf community, as such practices have not yet been fully integrated into the health field. In this regard, the objective of this study was to design and validate an educational booklet on healthy eating for the deaf community, ensuring low cost and easy access. This methodological study involved construction and content validation steps, conducted by a team from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, in partnership with the Santa Cruz Deaf Association (ASSC). Two instruments were used for data collection, carried out in August 2024, for the booklet’s validation by expert judges—four in the field of Nutrition and five in the Brazilian Sign Language field—along with six participants from the target audience (deaf individuals). The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CAAE 78019724.10000.5568, Opinion No. 7.154.243). Data were analyzed through the Content Validity Index (CVI), using a Likert-type scale, yielding a CVI of 93% among Brazilian Sign Language specialists, 90% among Nutrition specialists, and 100% among the target audience. Consequently, the booklet incorporated the evaluators’ suggestions, resulting in a material potentially useful for improving the nutrition of the deaf community.