Municipal Health Plans in Tocantins, Brazil: an analysis focusing on obesity

Abstract

This documentary analysis evaluated the scope of addressing obesity in the Municipal Health Plans (PMS) in the state of Tocantins, Brazil, since the growing prevalence of obesity in Brazil should put its confrontation at the center of public health action and management instruments. To analyze the PMS performance from 2018 to 2021 in the 139 municipalities of this state, 17 terms related to obesity were selected and had their frequency and context in the PMS verified. Of the existing 139 PMS, 129 (92.8%) were evaluated. “Health academy” and “SISVAN” were the most frequent terms used, whereas “obesity” appeared in only 28% of the plans, totaling 71 mentions. Of these, only 32.4% were directly related to combating the disease, mainly in the health regions of Bico do Papagaio and Médio Norte Araguaia. Relevant contexts for addressing obesity included the characterization of the epidemiological profile, tables of action goals, and indicators. PMS’s role in combating obesity is absent in more than 70% of municipalities in Tocantins, which points to the urgent inclusion of this disease within the management instruments.