Action-Research Method as an Educational Strategy for Reach Significant Learnings in Health Promotion in Public Health in Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: Health education plays a very important role for health promotion, prevention and limitation of harm. Health promotion contributes to the empowerment of people, individually and collectively, to build a culture of health and make healthy decisions. As part of the objectives of the subject Health Promotion in the Life Cycle, and with the purpose of carrying out a teaching experience, we chose to study “Food, nutritional status and its relationship with attention disorders hyperactivity (ADHD) in high school students. Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of action research in community practice, to favour teaching activity in obtaining meaningful learning and social commitment. Method: that of “action research”. A second-year group in the medical career was the protagonist of the process. A research project was developed in which the organization of previous experiences and knowledge in the study area was highlighted. A food questionnaire was designed and a validated questionnaire about ADHD was used, both were applied by the medical students, performed somatometry, gave talks for healthy eating and developed a database. After each activity, meetings were held with them to recover and organize the experience. Results: The students indicated that the activity allowed them to integrate what they had previously learned, identify their academic limitations, characterize a real public health problem, apply their knowledge and develop skills and identify the value of health promotion. Conclusions: Participation in activities where research is linked to action facilitates meaningful learning. Educational practice was considered as an action committed to the social context in which one lives.