University outreach for promoting cardiovascular health in adolescents at a public school: an experience report

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the leading causes of illness and death in Brazil and worldwide, thus affecting quality of life and bringing significant economic impacts to society as a whole. In particular, young people and adolescents are a vulnerable population to these diseases due to inadequate habits and customs in the various environments in which they are inserted, especially because of their limited awareness of behaviors that may increase the risk of developing such conditions. This article aims to present the experience of a university extension team in developing actions aimed at raising awareness among high school students about the risks and preventive measures related to cardiovascular diseases. The activities were carried out with third-year students of a full-time public high school in the city of João Pessoa-PB. The initiative was developed in classrooms using educational materials that sought to align with content from the National High School Exam (ENEM), in order to integrate classroom content with the topics addressed in ENEM, as a way to better capture students’ attention. In addition to expanding knowledge about risk factors and forms of prevention, the project provided the participating extension students with an experience of integration between teaching, research, and outreach, enabling positive changes in the students’ lifestyle and strengthening the bond between the university and the community.