Nutritional education groups in two contexts in Latin America: São Paulo and Bogotá

This study compared nutritional education groups regarding their theoretical and practical dimensions, within primary health care, between São Paulo and Bogotá. A descriptive study was conducted in stages: identification of the professionals; characterization of educational groups; identification of social representations about nutritional education; and comparison of the linkage between theory and practice in the groups, per city. Through interviews with 54 nutritionists 17 central ideas were identified, which were classified into thematic axes that related to the groups. In both contexts, the importance of participant empowerment was highlighted, with similarities in the profile of actions, but with differentiation of the mediators‟ autonomy. It was found that the theory/practice of the groups was in transition from the traditional to a more humanistic approach. However, this was at a slow speed, compared with healthcare policies and needs.