It was analyzed the place of health promotion in professional physiotherapy practice in relation to actions aimed towards comprehensive child healthcare in hospital settings. This study had a qualitative focus based on a dialectical hermeneutic perspective. The techniques of participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used for data gathering. The principles of the method of interpretation of meanings were used in the analysis. The study was conducted among the physiotherapists at the “Fernandes Figueira” National Institute of Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. The discussion on the results was summarized into three thematic strands: children as the focus of physiotherapy; health promotion within the pediatric physiotherapy sector in the hospital setting; and challenges of physiotherapy regarding health promotion among children. The study revealed some peculiarities of physiotherapy practice, emphasizing limits and possibilities with regard to health promotion.
Physiotherapy; Health promotion; Hospital setting