Distance qualification to promote adequate and healthy food in the Unified Health System (SUS - Brazil)/Qualificacao a distancia para promocao da alimentacao adequada e saudavel no Sistema Unico de Saude

Introduction: Actions to promote adequate and healthy food (PAAS in Portuguese) have been gaining space on public policy agendas due to the urgency of caring for noncommunicable chronic diseases. For the implementation of these actions in daily work, health professionals must be qualified, aiming at their empowerment and autonomy. Objective: To evaluate professional qualification activity for the development of collective actions of PAAS in Primary Health Care (PHC). Methods: Prospective and descriptive study conducted to evaluate professional qualifications offered at a distance, with a workload of 30 hours. Three classes were offered to PHC professionals from all Brazilian macro-regions. Quantitative online questionnaires were used and applied immediately after completion of the course and after three months. Results were stratified by country macro-region and course completion. Results: Of the 3,957 enrolled, about a thousand professionals completed the course (completion rate: 25.3%), most of them women and registered dietitian. Professional qualification was considered very relevant for professional practice (99.2%) and with adequate methodological quality (99.6%). The main obstacle for not completing the course was the lack of time (78.1 %). Most of the non-graduates were older, nurses, with more time working in the SUS, those who accessed the course via cell phone, and previous participation in professional qualification on the subject. Conclusions: Professional qualification was able to develop skills and abilities to conduct collective PAAS actions among health professionals. However, strategies need to be proposed to increase the completion rate. Keywords: Primary Health Care. Education, Continuing. Education, Distance. Health promotion. Introducao: Acoes de promocao da alimentacao adequada e saudavel (PAAS) vem ganhando espaco nas agendas das politicas publicas devido a urgencia do cuidado das condicoes cronicas nao transmissiveis. Para implementacao dessas acoes no cotidiano de trabalho, e fundamental que os profissionais de saude sejam qualificados visando o seu empoderamento e autonomia. Objetivo: Avaliar atividade de qualificacao profissional para o desenvolvimento de acoes coletivas de PAAS na Atencao Primaria a Saude (APS). Metodos: Estudo prospectivo e descritivo conduzido para avaliar qualificacao profissional ofertada a distancia, com carga horaria de 30 horas. Foram ofertadas tres turmas para profissionais da APS de todas as macrorregi