title: Physical activity promotion in primary health care in Brazil: a counseling model applied to community health workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to describe a methodology for training to provide counseling on physical activity among community health workers working within primary healthcare in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an intervention study conducted with 65 community health workers in the Ermelino Matarazzo district in the São Paulo, Brazil (30 in intervention group). The intervention group received a course of 12 hours (with 4 meetings of 3 hours each in 1 month) that aimed to improve their knowledge and be autonomous with regard to promoting physical activity. For data analysis, focus groups and questionnaires on knowledge and perceptions regarding physical activity were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average attendance for the 4 meetings was 29 workers (93% of total). There was an improvement in knowledge on physical activity recommendations in comparison with the control (P = .03), and qualitative results revealed that the professionals appreciated the learned content, valued its application based on knowledge construction and felt secure about promoting physical activity. This was seen through high adherence levels and construction collective of proposal for home visits for physical activity promotion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The training was effective in improving knowledge and attitudes toward counseling on physical activity among community health workers.
authors.affiliation: School of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alex Antonio
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Florindo
authors.forename: Evelyn Fabiana
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Thiago Herick
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Sa
authors.forename: Taynã Ishii
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Marília
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Velardi
authors.forename: Douglas Roque
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001938:Brazil; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires