Temporal analysis of the inclusion of Physical Education Professionals and Residents in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) from 2009 to 2021

Abstract

Physical Education is one of the categories featured in the SUS workforce. An ecological time series study, based on the National Registry of Health Establishments, was conducted to analyze the inclusion of Physical Education Professionals (PEFs) and residents in the SUS between 2009 and 2021. The scope of the article was to establish a panorama of the inclusion of Physical Education and analyze the distribution of PEFs and residents in the different regions. An increase of 476.01% in the number of PEFs and 10,366.67% among residents was revealed. The PEF rate per 100,000 inhabitants increased by 13.7% per year from 2009 to 2021, with an increase of 28.1% between 2009 and 2014 and 7.8% between 2014 and 2019, and a decrease of 3.4% between 2019 and 2021. The resident rate increased by 36.2% per year between 2009 and 2021, with a 45.9% increase between 2009 and 2017 and 18.7% between 2017 and 2021. Regional inequalities in the distribution of PEFs and residents were revealed, with the highest concentration, in 2021, in the Northeast and South regions, respectively. The increase in PEFs and residents in the SUS can be linked to policies and programs of physical exercise and activities, while the decrease is possibly related to the Previne Brasil Program and the COVID-19 pandemic.