Summary:
Arterial hypertension has been recognized as a relevant health problem in the Alto das Pombas borough, Salvador City, Brazil. Since 1996 practices towards prevention of arterial hypertension and its complications have been developed by the staff and students of the discipline Introdução à Medicina Social from the Department of Preventive Medicine of Federal University of Bahia together with the dwellers association and the local health center. During 1997 domiciliary visits and collective activities were carried out, with the Medicine students using several strategies to motivate the population like dramatization, posters, music; games and cartoons. These practices have shown to be original and creative, allowing mutual learning and revealing initiative and commitment of the students, who have surpassed the obstacle of transmiting technical and scientifical information to local residents in a clear and understandable way. Dwellers have participated with high interest in this process. Results stimulate the University group to keep on investing in this type of teaching practice.
Keywords:
Health surveillance; Health education; Community medicine - methods