PROFESSIONALS OF AREA OF PUBLIC HEALTH: ATTITUDES, EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

Abstract

A study was conducted in order to quantitatively analyze the attitudes, experiences and knowledge displayed by professionals of public health in Juiz de Fora - MG/Brazil, in 2007 about Complementary Therapies. It held a non-probabilistic sample getting to be an n = 56. Data were worked in the programs Microsoft Office Excel and SPSS 13.0 for Windows and later analyzed. Of the respondents, 82.15% with had not specific subjects approach on Complementary Therapies during graduation, most reported having "none" or "very little" knowledge about the therapies studied; 61.23% declare that they have obtained knowledge on the subject by through media or research staff; the majority considers it necessary to the teaching of Complementary Therapies through optional subjects during graduation; 58.93% claim they usually do or they already have done personal use of Complementary Therapies despite 67.86% have denied its use in their professional practice; only 55.36% reported having knowledge of the insertion of Complementary Therapies in the Single Health System of Brazil nowadays. There is a need to create new courses for training of professionals in the field and it is necessary bigger government incentives for definitive inclusion of Complementary Therapies at the Single Health System.