OBJECTIVES:
to describe the low risk prenatal nutritional care theory adopted by Brazilian National Health System.
METHODS:
an evaluative study was carried out based on the Love's Implementation Evaluation Model (2004), in its third stage (deliver the program). Coverage was examined using the database of the 2006 National Demographics and Health Survey and components analysis included the development of causal and logical-operational models.
RESULTS:
prenatal care has virtually universal coverage in Brazil. However, non-participation in prenatal and nutritional care is related to lower socio-economic status. The high level of nutritional disorders during pregnancy and the presumed logical chain of causes of these disorders and their consequences show the importance of intervening in the nutritional status of pregnant women, given that it is possible to act on this cause and that such actions have been shown to be effective / efficacious. The logico-operational model showed that, if the structure and the process of nutritional care are adequately implemented, the desired results can be achieved.
CONCLUSIONS:
the description and modeling of the theory of intervention can be shown to be fundamental stages in the evaluation and improvement of the implementation of nutritional care during the prenatal period.
Prenatal care; Prenatal nutrition; Health evaluation; Program evaluation
