<b>Health education in a group modality: a report case</b> - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v8i1.7786

Abstract

The present report describes the perceptions from experiences in a therapeutic group with bearers of Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension of a Basic Health Unit of the city of Pelotas/RS, in the period from April to July 2004. The topics discussed at the meetings included diet, body care and physical activities, which were addressed in a systematic way and without the participation of the user in choosing them. Among the reasons that lead users to join the group are: ways of controlling the disease, access to medication, exchange of experience and easy access to services. It was observed that participation in the group brings changes in eating habits, in the self care, in physical activity and in addressing the problems. Through participation in groups, we found that the process of health education occurs in a vertical way, in the traditional model, where users behave as recipients of information, without a dynamic methodology of meetings to encourage their participation and better integration among them.