School Health Program: potential and limits of the intersectoral articulation to promote the health of children

Abstract

The study aimed to understand the potential and limits of the intersectoral  articulation of the School Health Program  for the promotion of children’s health from  the perspective of primary care professionals. This research had a  qualitative, descriptive-exploratory  approach, carried out with 20 health professionals from different professional  categories, in four municipalities in the  Greater Florianópolis. Data collection was  carried out through interviews from  November 2020 to March 2021. The data  underwent content analysis and discussed  according to the theoretical framework of  health promotion. It stood out as potential:  monitoring the health conditions of  schoolchildren, expanding access to health information, partnership with other sectors, and the creation of links with the school  community. The limits highlighted were the  partial coverage of the school network, the  lack of knowledge about the program, the  overload of activities, the lack of human  resources and infrastructure, and the  impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is concluded that there is a need to  strengthen the School Health Program as a public policy with the purpose of  implementing articulated actions between  health and education so that they can  actually improve schoolchildren’s quality of  life and act on their social determinants.