Abstract
The study aimed to describe and analyze possible differences in the activities of health education performed by community health workers during a home visit. Data of two transversal studies were analyzed in the context of Family Health Units in the municipalities of Campina Grande (2010) and Queimadas (2011), in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. In Campina Grande, women whose children were younger than one year old were eligible, selected by systematic lottery, from 30% of the health units (n=508). In Queimadas, all women whose children were born within the year of 2009, those who resided in the municipality and those who were treated in any of the 16 health units (n=204) were eligible. The mothers were questioned about the educational activities developed by the agents during the home visits. A larger proportion of women indicated not to receive home visits in the municipality of Campina Grande, and deficiencies were found related to orientation on how to care for children's health in the two municipalities, and there was a higher frequency of educational activities in the agents from Queimadas. The differences related to the work of community health workers may involve elements such as professional devaluation and precarious work conditions. It must be emphasized the importance of the training and preparation of nurses for the supervision of the health workers.
Keywords
community health workers; Family Health Program; popular education in health