Association of knowledge, preventive counseling and personal health behaviors on physical activity and consumption of fruits or vegetables in community health workers

Abstract

BackgroundThere is evidence that if a health professional is active and has a healthy diet, he/she is more likely to advise patients about the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the personal physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables behaviors and nutritional status of community health workers; (2) evaluate the association between knowledge, delivery of preventive counseling and personal behaviors among community health workers.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in a nationally sample of health professionals working in primary health care settings in Brazil in 2011. This survey was part of the second phase of the Guide for Useful Interventions for Activity in Brazil and Latin America project, and data were collected through telephone interviews of 269 community health workers from the Unified Health Care system of Brazil. We applied questionnaires about personal reported behaviors, knowledge and preventive counseling in physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables. We calculated the prevalence and associations between the variables with logistic regression.ResultsThe proportion of community health workers that practiced 150 minutes per week of physical activity in leisure time or transportation was high (64.9%). Half of community health workers were overweight and only 26.2% reported consuming five portions/day of fruits or vegetables. Most community health workers reported counseling about physical activity for more than six months (59.7%), and most were not knowledgeable of the fruits and vegetables and physical activity recommendations. Meeting the fruits and vegetables recommendations was associated with correct knowledge (OR = 4.5; CI95% 1.03;19.7), with reporting 150 minutes or more of physical activity per week (OR = 2.0; CI95% 1.03;3.7) and with reporting physical activity in leisure time (OR = 2.0; CI95% 1.05;3.6). Regular physical activity counseling was associated with reporting 10–149 minutes per week (OR = 3.8; CI95% 1.1;13.3) and with more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week (OR = 4.9; CI95% 1.5;16.5).ConclusionActions to promote physical activity and healthy eating and to improve knowledge among community health workers within the health care system of Brazil could have a potential positive influence on delivery of preventive counseling to patients on this topic.

O agente comunitário de saúde como interlocutor da alimentação complementar em Pelotas, RS, Brasil

“…The results of this study conducted through the collection of primary data, with approximately all the CHWs operating in the urban area of a medium-sized city in the southern region of the country bring relevant inputs to be considered in the implementation of CHWs' activities and their primary care actions, in Brazilian municipalities with characteristics similar to Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. The studied population consisted almost exclusively of women, as well as in research with the same professionals, in which females represented more than 80% of the samples evaluated [33][34][35] , possibly due to the historical aspects of 34 and Ferraz and Aerts 37 , who demonstrated a higher prevalence of CHWs with 9-11 years of schooling. A survey 38 that evaluated CHWs' schooling level found an increased level of schooling in this professional category, which can be noted considering that about 45% of individuals studied have a professional schooling level.…”

Description of health promotion actions in Brazilian cities that received funds to develop “Academia da Saúde” program

“…Only 25% of the cities had plan for training health professionals for develop the actions in "Academia da Saúde". Studies conducted with health professionals in Brazil showed that knowledge is important for physical activity and healthy food promotion in primary health care units 26,27 . The food guide for Brazilian population and book about physical activity promotion in primary health care settings can be good instruments for training these professionals 28,29 .…”

Attitudes of students to physical activity

“…Гранична вредност на основу које су испитаници сврстани у физички акти-вне била је најмање 5 дана недељно умереног вежбања у трајању од најмање 30 минута или најмање 3 дана недељно тешке физичке акти-вности у трајању од најмање 20 минута. Ис-питаници би такође задовољили препоручен ниво физичке активности уколико би прово-дили најмање 2 дана недељно радећи вежбе за јачање и тонирање њихових мишића 15 . За питања из другог дела упитника, која се тичу ставова и свести међу студентима о значају физичке активности у домену позити-вног утицаја на квалитет физичког и пси-хичког сегмента живота и даљег унапређења здравља, као и питања која се тичу утврђи-вања разлога за евентуално недовољно бав-љење физичком активношћу, израчуната је процентуална заступљеност.…”

“…Студија спроведена у Вијетнаму показала је да студенти у просеку проведу 60 минута дневно бавећи се умере-ном и 20 минута дневно тешком физичком активношћу 18 , што су високе вредности за ову популацију. Разлика у стварном физичком понашању студентске популације може да бу-де повезана са временом када је упитник подељен испитаницима (за време редовног периода предавања или током испитног ро-ка) 15 . Студија која је урађена у Великој Брита-нији у току школске 2007/2008 године даје процену физичке активности студената са седам универзитета.…”