Câncer de boca: a abordagem preventiva na Estratégia de Saúde da Família em Sousa-PB.

Abstract

Oral cancer is currently considered a public health problem, by its increasing incidence and impact on the population. To minimize these effects there are measures that can be applied, such as campaigns against smoking and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, oral hygiene practices, healthy eating, protection from the sun's rays, clinical examination by the professional and self-examination of the mouth. These measures must be developed by professionals of the Family Health Strategy (ESF), which is considered the gateway to the National Health System (SUS), by locating themselves closer to the user, working on aspects of collective and individual. This study aimed to evaluate the existence of measures for the prevention of oral cancer in the city of ESF Sousa - PB and examined whether the health care professional health team and family realizes the main preventive measures taken by them This is an exploratory and descriptive, with quantitative and qualitative approach. Research participants were 58 graduates of doctors, nurses and dentists working in 19 ESFs located in the city of Sousa - PB. The technique used for data collection was the interview, being used as a tool semi-structured questionnaire including variables that allowed to characterize the profile of the participants, as well as subjective issues that led to the study objectives. The researcher followed the ethical observances of Resolution 196/96 of the National Health Council, which deals with research on humans. Quantitative data were analyzed using the index o f frequency and percentage. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, in its mode of thematic analysis according to Bardin. It was found that there was a predominance of females, with an average age between 23 and 38 years. Most professionals have time to work on the FHS over three years, and much has graduate. The qualitative analysis was possible to identify which part of the professional team of family health performs preventive practices against oral cancer. However, these practices are often developed in a piecemeal fashion, characterized by knowledge and weakened by the separation of activities by occupational categories, opposing an interdisciplinary and comprehensive care, away from the objectives proposed by the SUS. Some interviewees said they need courses and improvements to make them more likely to develop these measures. It becomes important to include policies aimed at FHS for prevention o f oral cancer, since the need for training of professionals on the importance and implementation of this practice, as well as educating the population about the disease and its risk factors.