Atuação profissional no âmbito da segurança alimentar e nutricional na perspectiva de coordenadores de cursos de graduação em nutrição

Abstract

Facilitating factors for and barriers against nutritionists' practices relating to food and nutritional security were identified, from the perspective of coordinators of undergraduate nutrition courses in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. In this qualitative study, using collective subject discourse, coordinators were asked about factors favoring and limiting professional practice relating to food and nutritional security. Public policies and training were identified positively and negatively. The following central ideas were considered to be facilitators: "existence of public policies and programs" and "adequate training". The barriers identified were "insufficiency or non-application of these policies", "little possibility for nutritionists to act within the public sector" and "insufficient or inadequate training". It was concluded that coordinators placed value on the existence of policies, but the limitations of actions were clear. Although the training was considered adequate by some coordinators, it was criticized regarding its technical nature, fragmentation and disconnection between theory and practice.