Health Education in Primary Health Care: Contributions to Professional Training and the Strengthening of Comprehensive Care
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the contributions of health education in Primary Health Care (PHC) to professional training and the strengthening of comprehensive care. This is a narrative literature review with a qualitative and exploratory-descriptive approach, conducted using the LILACS, SciELO, and MEDLINE/PubMed databases. Descriptors related to health education, Primary Health Care, Popular Health Education, Continuing Health Education, and Community Health Workers were used. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight studies composed the analytical corpus of the research. The results showed that strategies such as home visits, conversation circles, educational groups, workshops, and culture circles constitute important technologies for care and learning in PHC. These practices promote users’ autonomy, strengthen the relationship between health services and communities, and foster the shared construction of knowledge. Furthermore, they constitute spaces for workplace learning, contributing to the critical training of health workers and the strengthening of Continuing Health Education. However, challenges related to pedagogical training, working conditions, and the fragmentation of educational actions still limit their transformative potential. It is concluded that health education, when grounded in the principles of Popular Health Education and Continuing Health Education, contributes to professional qualification and the production of comprehensive care in PHC.
Source: Artefactum
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7166648111