title: [Community vegetable gardens as a health promotion activity: an experience in Primary Healthcare Units].
abstract: Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is being practiced in different settings, contributing to the improvement of health in communities and healthier environments. In order to identify the meanings and implications of the practice of UPA in Primary Healthcare Units (PHU) as an activity of health promotion (HP), and to what extent its therapeutic dimension characterizes it as an activity aligned with complementary and integrative practices (CIP), a qualitative cross-sectional study was performed in Embu das Artes, State of São Paulo. From the analysis, the following main themes arose: health concept, health outcomes, the return to traditional practices and habits and the reorientation of health services. It was possible to identify the close link between the cultivation of vegetable gardens and HP guidelines and fields of action, such as creating healthier environments, boosting community actions, developing personal skills, stimulating autonomy and empowerment and demands for the reorientation of services. The garden activities, set up in PHU areas, proved to be an implementation strategy of CIP. The conclusion reached is that vegetable gardening activities in community gardens are seen to be health promotion practices that integrate key elements of CIP.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, chris@polis.org.br.
authors.forename: Christiane Gasparini Araújo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, chris@polis.org.br.
authors.forename: Mariana Tarricone
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, chris@polis.org.br.
authors.forename: Silvana Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, chris@polis.org.br.
authors.forename: Marcia Fernanda de Sousa
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Salandini
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, chris@polis.org.br.
authors.forename: Cláudia Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bógus
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000072506:Gardens; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014505:Urban Population; D014675:Vegetables