Education And Work Of Dieticians From Family Health Support Centers

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the education and work of dieticians from the Family Health Support Centers in the state of Goias.MethodThis is a descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional study with dieticians from these centers. The dieticians answered a self-administered questionnaire with open and closed questions that characterized them, their education, and their work.ResearchTwenty-two female dieticians from Family Health Support Centers participated in the study, representing 88.0% of the total. Of these, 59.1% had graduated less than three years ago; 13.6% specialized in family health; and only 27.3% felt capable of performing their job based on a reflection about the socioeconomic, political, and cultural reality of the territory. Regarding work, 80% had temporary job contracts, which can compromise the bond between the professionals and the population; 36.4% had been working for less than one year; 18.2% received training before they started working; and 59.1% did not feel sufficiently trained to work in the centers. Only 9.1% of the participants discussed matriciamento (support given by a multidisciplinary team to another multidisciplinary team) in the meetings and used tool-related references. Team work was considered a facilitator of their actions, and not knowing the role of Family Health Support Centers was considered a hindrance.ConclusionDieticians from the Family Health Support Centers in the state of Goias have little professional experience, do not feel sufficiently trained to work in family health, and have difficulties understanding the local reality, as education did not give them confidence to work in the area and they have little knowledge about the centers.