Food and nutrition actions in primary health care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5020/18061230.2025.14957Keywords:
Primary Health Care, Health Promotion, Nutrition and Food Programs and Policies, Food and Nutritional Surveillance, Nutrition ProgramsAbstract
Objective: To characterize food and nutrition actions implemented in primary health care (PHC). Method: This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study collected data from professionals working in Primary Health Care Units between July and December 2022 in a municipality located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Food and nutrition actions were characterized using the Primary Health Care Nutrition Care Assessment Instrument. Knowledge and use of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population were assessed using knowledge and self-efficacy measurement scales. Absolute and relative frequencies, means, 95%CI, medians, and 25th and 75th percentiles were calculated. Results: A total of 22 health professionals participated in the study, predominantly nurses and unit managers. The absence of nutritionists was identified in all evaluated units, along with limited implementation of food and nutrition surveillance practices among the population. Health promotion actions were mainly focused on physical activity and dietary habit changes, with little or no use of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population. Conclusion: The implementation of nutrition care actions, particularly regarding knowledge and use of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, was limited, which compromises the quality of health promotion initiatives and the comprehensiveness of health care. The implementation of multidisciplinary teams, investment in continuing education, and the development of health promotion actions based on population needs are necessary.
Downloads
Translations of this article
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Giulia Sanchez Leonardo, Mariana Tarricone Garcia, José Anael Neves

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Upon publishing in the RBPS, the authors declare that the work is their exclusive authorship and therefore assume full responsibility for its content. Along with the submission of the manuscript, authors must provide the Statement of Responsibility and Copyright signed by all authors, as well as their individual contribution to its preparation, and it must be submitted in PDF format. The authors retain the copyright of their article and agree to license their work under an International Creative Commons Public License, thereby accepting the terms and conditions of this license.
CC BY-NC: This license permits others to remix, adapt, and build upon the published article for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper credit is attributed to the creators of the work (the authors of the article).
License link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode
















