A alimentação saudável nas representações sociais de nutricionistas docentes do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, BrasiL

Abstract

The history of the field of nutrition in Brazil was based on the hegemony of the biological and clinical approach to food, which recent literature has called nutritionism. This is characterized by the emphasis on the chemical composition of food and the overestimation of the role that certain nutrients would play on health. In this sense, multidisciplinary contributions emerged in the field of nutrition that began to question nutritional reductionism and to postulate a more systemic perspective, from which the notion of healthy eating began to be correlated with the multidimensions of food. Thus, the objectives of this research are to identify and interpret whether the social representations of nutrition teachers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul about healthy eating are guided by the nutritionist approach, by a systemic approach or in transition from nutritionism to the systemic approach. Seeking to understand the social representations of nutrition professors about healthy eating is of importance insofar as professors are the ones who directly contribute to the teaching-learning process of students and to their future professional practices that, consequently, will impact on health of the population. The research had a qualitative and quantitative approach, whose universe consisted of professors from five institutions (three public and two non-public) in the central, north, south, east and west of the state. The public institutions were the Federal University of Santa Maria (Campus of Palmeira das Missões), the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) and the Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA – Campus of Itaqui). And the non-public institutions were the Franciscan University (UFN – Santa Maria) and the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS – Porto Alegre and São Leopoldo Campus). The data collection instruments were forms (sociodemographic data, essay questions, closed and free association) and documental research. The data analysis instruments were: content analysis, collective subject discourse (CSD) and response frequency and percentage. The research may be limited in its generalization, because in Rio Grande do Sul there are about 24 institutions that offer 35 nutrition courses and this study only included professors from 5 universities and 6 courses. However, we reiterate its importance, as it was the first study in Brazil to analyze the social representations of nutrition teachers about healthy eating in the current context of dissemination of the SDGs and the UN 2030 Agenda, in addition to a post-Covid-19 pandemic scenario. The results point to consistent evidence that the social representations of nutrition teachers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul are in the process of transitioning from nutritionism to a systemic approach to healthy eating. This seems in line with the debates and discussions that are taking place in the current context of Brazilian Nutrition Science, mainly on the importance of considering the notion of sustainability in agrifood systems for the recommendations of healthy eating. However, it also makes it possible to recognize that there are still many challenges to be faced and overcome.