Intervenção mediacional e promoção de hábitos alimentares saudáveis em criança diabética: um estudo exploratório

Abstract

Childhood is a sensitive period for learning and consolidating some behaviors, and among these, one that deserves to be highlighted today refers to healthy eating. Inadequate eating habits linked to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle have contributed to the onset of diseases, previously found primarily in adults, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, among others. That being said, the present study aimed to assess the relevance of therapeutic and informative intervention through home meetings with a diabetic child’s family, followed by mediational interventions, planned in the MISC Program theoretical assumptions, with the child in order to promote changes in the family's eating habits. Participated in the research the a diabetic male child and three other members of his family including his mother, grandmother and adolescent sister, also diabetic. The data collection procedure involved interviews with the nutritionist and the child's mother, which allowed the identification of the themes to be worked on in the interventions, as well as the possible changes that occurred after the interventions. They were followed by three home meetings with the family and three mediational play workshops with the child. Before the interventions, there was a high consumption of ultra-processed foods, drinks such as soft drinks, artificial juices, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, in addition to emotional suffering linked to dealing with the disease. After the interventions, there were positive reports from the family about the moments and activities that intended to help dealing with their emotions, working on the development of self-care and self-esteem, as well as changes in the family's eating habits with the cultivation of a vegetable garden at home, reduction of the consumption of ultra-processed food products such as soft drinks and the child's greater interest in fresh foods. Thus, it is possible to consider the intervention of Psychology as relevant in such a context, as a complement to the treatment, bringing strategies, such as the mediation of knowledge, which will consider not only the cognitive dimension of a subject, but also the affective and historical-cultural dimensions, offering even a perspective at the particularities of each family.