What aspects influence the prioritization of Primary Health Carby municipal managers in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil?

Abstract

Primary Health Care (PHC) is capab-le of achieving broad coverage and effectiveness. This study evaluated the factors associated with the prioritization that municipal health managers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) give to PHC. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out between August 2017 and May 2019 using an online FormSUS questionnaire, consis-ting of 44 questions divided into 4 blocks, sent to 497 municipal health managers. Multiple logistic regression was performed to analyze factors associated with PHC prioritization. Out of 404 participants, 66.8% reported a maximum degree of prioritization. Managers with a postgraduate degree showed greater prioritization than those with elementary education (78.5% vs 58.8%, p<0.01). Regarding the postgraduate area, managers with training in public health prioritized PHC more than in other areas, or with no postgraduate studies, respectively with 84%, 77.1% and 61.8% (p<0.01). After adjusting for covaria-tes, having a postgraduate degree in public health or in another area remained associated with greater chances of prioritization. The results may encourage initiatives that consider the level and area of education for this position focusing on te-chnical, and not strictly political criteria.