Actions of nurses toward obesity in primary health care units

Abstract

Objectives: To understand the actions of nurses toward obesity in primary health care units. Methods: A phenomenological study was carried out with 12 nurses of a city in the state of Minas Gerais. The interviews were organized into categories and analyzed according to the social phenomenology of Alfred Schütz and literature associated with the theme. Results: The following categories emerged, expressing the actions of nurses toward obesity prevention and control: “Guidance on healthy lifestyle habits”, “Barriers to the actions of nurses”, and “Focusing specifically on obesity”. Final considerations: Considering that guidance on healthy lifestyle habits was mostly carried out during individual and collective activities directed to the general population, regardless of their weight conditions, nurses must reorganize their professional practice in primary health care units by implementing specific actions for users with obesity or at risk of developing it.