Educative practice of community health agents analyzed through the category of praxis

Abstract

This study aimed to: analyze the conceptions of health education that guide educational practices of community health agents in the Family Health Program of the Butantã Health Coordination, São Paulo, Brazil, and analyze the character of these educational activities. Data were collected through focus groups and indepth semi-structured interviews with 39 agents. The analysis procedures followed the recommendations of thematic content analysis, and praxis was the analytical category. Regarding theoretical activity as a component of praxis, we found that most health education conceptions were based on the transmission of normative information learned from health technicians. This theoretical activity ended up guiding a practical activity typical of repetitive praxis, in which the agents do not participate in the health work planning process and do not dominate the "ideal object", reproducing tasks planned by others.