Transtornos alimentares na Atenção Primária à Saúde: representações sociais dos profissionais de saúde

Abstract

The nutritional transition has changed the profile of the health-disease process, increasing the prevalence of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases. Equally important, it is to realize that obesity generates psychosocial repercussions, such as a decrease in self-esteem, depreciation of quality of life and a negative perception of one's own body, that is, a favorable context for the emergence of psychopathologies, such as eating disorders. This study aims to understand the representations made by primary health care professionals in the city of Sobral, Ceará, about eating disorders. This is an exploratory-descriptive research, of a qualitative and quantitative nature, with data collection and analysis carried out from October 2022 to March 2022. Information was collected through interviews with 12 respondents; 03 doctors, 03 nurses, 03 nutritionists and 03 psychologists working in Basic Health Units in the municipality of Sobral, in the northern region of the state of Ceará. Data analysis was carried out using the framework of Social Representations (MOSCOVICI, 2004) supported by the Collective Subject Discourse (DSC) technique by Lefevre and Lefevre (2014), with the aid of the DSCsoft software for data tabulation and processing. This research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under number 5,530,589. In the analysis process, 18 speeches were identified. The DCS were merged into central ideas and anchors. The representations constructed about eating disorders show a limited understanding of eating disorders, which are issues related to weight, obesity, sadness, suffering, binge eating and absence/emptiness. There is a certain distance between professionals and mental health issues, although eating disorders are a problem in the territories. Professionals do not present specific behaviors or support material, in this sense they have difficulty in diagnosis, management and care. In this scenario, the need for training these professionals to recognize signs and symptoms of ED is evident, to propose strategic actions of continued care and intersectoral actions in order to contribute to the work of Primary Health Care, with the sensitivity of professionals to the demands of eating disorders, encourage managers to rethink the work process in relation to the theme to enhance health practices and care for these users, make this demand visible, patients need to be seen, diagnosed and cared for.