Professional training to implement the dietary guidelines for the Brazilian population in primary health care: development and content validity of a massive open online course.

Abstract

Background: The Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population provide recommendations for healthy diets to prevent noncommunicable chronic diseases, emphasizing the golden rule: always prefer natural or minimally processed foods and freshly prepared dishes and meals to ultra-processed foods. While widely recognized, the integration of dietary advice based on the Dietary Guidelines recommendations has not yet been sufficiently incorporated into Primary Health Care. Protocols based on the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines for Individual Dietary Advice were developed to support healthcare professionals in providing individualized dietary advice based on the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines tailored to different stages of lifetime. Training healthcare professionals to use the Protocols might increase their confidence and is a strategic step toward implementing the Guidelines in routine care. This study aimed to develop and validate a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the Protocols based on the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines for individual dietary advice.

Methods: This methodological study investigated the development and content validity of a Massive Open Online Course designed to qualify Primary Health Care professionals in dietary advice based on the Protocols. Development and validation involved defining objectives, theoretical frameworks and learning skills; creating content and structure; conducting content validity assessments through a panel of experts; analyzing the results via content validity index scores and thematic content analysis with a comprehensive approach; and refining pedagogical tools in the virtual learning environment.

Results: A Massive Open Online Couse, titled QualiGuia, was developed. All the content sessions achieved content validity index scores above the cutoff grade (0.8). Experts' perceptions were categorized to assess content adequacy, clarity, relevance, and alignment with the theoretical framework. Suggestions for improvement and potential implementation challenges were also addressed. The course included case studies reflecting typical Primary Health Care situations with appropriate complexity and depth, effectively meeting learning objectives.

Conclusions: The Massive Open Online Course QualiGuia was validated as an effective tool for training Primary Health Care professionals to use the Protocols based on the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines. Its content and structure align with the goals of the Guidelines, supporting healthcare providers in integrating dietary advice into Primary Health Care practices.