OBJECTIVE: Community intervention was undertaken using the health promotion strategy, the objetive being to develop a health education program for women. METHODS: The popular education methodology was used with the purpose of generating organizational and social participation processes to improve hates of child nutrition and survival. RESULTS: The main results are linked with the generation of community self-care processes and the creation of a health promoters' group which has been working with women, focusing their work on improving child nutrition and family health. The health promoters have taken charge of the epidemiological surveillance program for child nutrition and, together with the mothers, have undertaken a series of actions which have helped to decrease the rate of malnutrition among the children participating in this programs. CONCLUSIONS: There would be greater possibility of success if the general population were involved in the solution of this problem. This would be possible by the use of an adequate methodology which brought about greater community participation in such a way as to leave room for its own improvement. Popular education provides such a tool. It is necessary to continue to increase experience in health education with this type of methodology.
Health promotion; Health education; Child nutrition