The care for school-aged children: perceptions of Family Health Strategy Care teams

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand how Family Health Strategy teams perceive child care at school age. Methods: This is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with 21 professionals from the Family Health Units in Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil, who were asked about the health needs of children at school age and the actions taken to fulfill them. Content analysis was chosen to organize the data generated in the interviews. Results and discussion: Two categories resulted from the interviews were identified: 1) The care for children at school age, and 2) Multi-professional and inter-sectorial practices: gaps in health practices. Health professionals recognized the shortage of health interventions for children at school age and clearly expressed how they must be cared for, as opposed to how, in practice, these actions were limited and disarticulated. Multi-professional and inter-sectorial practices were considered essential in the care for children at school age; however, they were described as fragmented. Final consideration: It was possible to identify that the perceptions of what is needed for children at school age are insufficient for Family Health Strategy teams to mobilize themselves or incorporate health care practices to those children.