FAMILY HEALTH STRATEGY AS A SCENARIO FOR DENTISTS’ PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE

DENTAL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ANALYSIS

Abstract

This cross-sectional observational study analyzed the professional dentist’s performance in the Family Health Strategy (FHS). The participants were final-semester dental students from a Southern Brazilian public university. Data collection was conducted from 2010-2019, by applying a semi-structured, self-applied and pre-tested research instrument. Descriptive statistical analyzes and binary logistic regression models were used to esti-mate the unadjusted and adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between graduating groups and professional activity in the FHS. The answers to the open question were classified by emerging themes, from the perspective of thematic content analysis. 677 dental students participated (percentage of response: 85.1%). Final-semester dental students from the 2015-2019 classes were 2.06 times more likely (95%CI 1.49-2.85) to consider the 40-hour ESF performance when compared to students from the 2010-2014 classes. Women were 1.77 times more likely (95% CI 1.32-2.36) to intend to work in the FHS compared to men. The interest in professional practice in the Unified Health System (SUS)/Primary Health Care (PHC) was explained by factors related to the affinity with the area of Public Health/SUS, the possibility of working with multidisciplinary teams, direct contact with patients-families-communities, economic stability, work conditions and professional career, as well as personal and professional achievement. Positive learning experiences in PHC provided by the undergraduate curriculum internship with multidisciplinary teams and people-families-community were crucial for the students’ interest in professional practice in the FHS. It is recommended that our results are complemented by studies that include egress students and qualitative research approaches, seeking to understand the performance of these professionals in the SUS and the evaluation of education and health policies adopted in Brazil.