Coordination of obesity care: perceptions of primary health care professionals in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

Obesity is a multifactorial condition and one of the major public health problems associated with an increase in chronic noncommunicable diseases. The objective of this study was to analyze primary health care professionals’ perceptions of the coordination of obesity care at a family health center in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. We conducted an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with health care team members, which were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed communication difficulties between different levels of care, lack of counter referral, poor multidisciplinary coordination and lack of awareness of coordination strategies. It was concluded that the coordination of obesity care faces challenges that extend beyond structural issues, highlighting weaknesses in work processes and the qualification of health teams.

Keywords
Primary health care; Intersectoral collaboration; Levels of health care; Obesity; Continuing education