Evaluation of massive education in prison health: a perspective of health care for the person deprived of freedom in Brazil

Abstract

Education, with an emphasis on prison health, has acted as a policy inducing changes in work processes, which the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) has used, and which is present in permanent health education, which promotes health care for people deprived of liberty. This article aims to present an analysis of the impacts of the strategy of massive education on prison health in Brazil from the perspective of health professionals and other actors operating in the Brazilian prison system. The data used in the study come from a questionnaire consisting of 37 questions applied nationwide between March and June 2022. Responses were collected from students who completed the course "Health Care for People Deprived of Freedom" of the learning pathway "Prison System", available in the Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS). This course was offered nationally, whose adhesion (enrollment) occurred spontaneously, i.e., the course was not a mandatory. The data collected allowed us to analyze the impacts of massive education on prison health. The study also shows that the search for the course is made by several areas of knowledge, with a higher incidence in the health area, but also in other areas, such as humanities, which also work directly with the guarantee of the rights of people deprived of liberty, which are professionals in the areas of social work, psychology, and education. The analysis based on the data suggests that the massive education mediated by technology through the courses of the learning pathway, besides disseminating knowledge-following the action plan of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-, are an effective tool to promote resilience in response to prison health and care demands of people deprived of liberty.

Keywords: evaluation of health massive education; health education; health education in prison system; health massive education; prison health; prison system; public health.

Figure 1

Frequency of responses per question in the questionnaire.

Figure 2

Analysis related to the occupation. (A) Are you currently working as healthcare professional? (B) If you work as a health professional, select the alternative referring to your occupational category.

Figure 3

Analysis related to recommend the course to other people. (A) Did you recommend this course? (B) To whom did you recommend this course?

Figure 4

Analysis of knowledge sharing. (A) Have you shared what you learned in the course with your co-workers? (B) Did you share what you learned in the course with your family and community? (C) Is the course content important to be shared?

Figure 5

Analysis of content, epidemiological profile, and STIs. (A) Did the contents covered in the course discuss the epidemiological profile of the Brazilian prison system. (B) Did the course cover topics that help in the control of sexually transmitted infections in the prison system.

Figure 6

Analysis of comprehensive health care in the prison system. (A) Did the contents of the course cover effective strategies for comprehensive health care in the prison system? (B) Did the topics addressed in the course allow you to UNDERSTAND the aspects related to comprehensive care for “the health of men deprived of liberty”? (C) Did the topics addressed in the course allow you to UNDERSTAND the aspects related to comprehensive care for “the health of women deprived of liberty”?

Figure 7

Mental health of the person deprived of liberty.

Figure 8

Analysis of students' previous knowledge. (A) Previous to the course, had you studied the content of the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for persons Deprived of Liberty in the Prison System (PNAISP)? (B) Previous to the course, had you studied the content of the National Policy for Integral Care of Women's Health (PNAISM)? (C) Previous to the course, had you studied the content of the National Policy for the Care of Women Deprived of Liberty and Released from the Prison System (PNAMPE)?

Figure 9

Analysis of prison health, diseases, community, and humanization. (A) Are deprivation of liberty and performance in the prison system vulnerability factor that intensify the appearance of various disease? (B) Is the restriction of comprehensive health care in the prison system a factor that intensifies the appearance of various diseases among people deprived of liberty and also in the community? (C) Does the improvement of health care in the prison system represent an advance toward a more adequate social and health system because it is more humanized?

Figure 10

Analysis of improvements and behavioral changes in professional practice. (A) Did the course help to improve your professional practice? (B) Did the course provide change in behavior in your professional practice?

Figure 11

Analysis related to service improvement and work process changes. (A) Did the course improve an existing service? (B) Did the course provide change in the work process in the place where you work?