PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESEARCH: ANALYSIS OF THE AGENDA FUNDED BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) is one of the strategic agendas in the public health agenda and in Brazil it is established as a right of the population. The Ministry of Health funds research guided by the National Agenda of Health Research Priorities (ANPPS), so the ANPPS can bring PA research closer to the policies of the Unified Health System (SUS). The study aimed to analyze a) the temporal evolution of the number, total value and value per survey; b) the axles; c) the sub-agendas of the ANPPS. Methods: This is a descriptive, quantitative, study of PA research funded by the Ministry of Health between 2002 and 2023, carried out by consulting the public repository "Pesquisa Saúde". The temporal trend analysis of the number, total deflated value and deflated value was performed per survey. The absolute and relative values of the number and total value were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 234 PA research were funded, and the total deflated amount was approximately R$ 60.0 million, which corresponds to an average investment of R$ 256.5 thousand per research. This amount represents 3.2% and 1.7%, respectively, of the quantity and of the total deflated value for health research. Important fluctuations in the number and funding were revealed, with a decreasing trend for the number, total value and value per survey in the period analyzed. The health consequences axis was the one that received the largest number of research and financial resources. The sub-agenda with the highest number of studies was chronic non-communicable diseases and the one that received the largest amount of resources was epidemiology. Conclusion: PA was present in research funded by the Ministry of Health, but it is necessary to advance, especially in increasing the amount of resources and inducing specific funding for the policy axis, aiming to expand the production of knowledge about PA as a public health policy.