Health education actions in pediatric cardiology

the extension role of the UFF Academic League of Pediatrics

Abstract

Since 2009, the Academic League of Pediatrics from Universidade Federal Fluminense (LiPe-UFF) has developed activities based on the tripod “teaching, research, and extension” with the aim of promoting a more in-depth training in child health for its members. LiPe-UFF understands that extension points out to a concept of university whose relations with the population are inseparable from the academic environment, and result in the democratization of knowledge. Regarding actions aimed at pediatrics, June 12th and July 9th stand out, such dates aiming to raise awareness about congenital heart defects and heart failure, respectively. Thus, the present report aims to describe two health education actions on cardiovascular conditions in children and their impact on academic learning and community knowledge. Congenital heart defects play a significative role on child mortality, being one of the main causes of heart failure in children and adolescents. Despite not being so common in pediatrics, heart failure has a high morbidity and mortality rate, and its early diagnosis is still a challenge. Due to the need to increase knowledge on these topics, LiPe-UFF developed two health education actions, in 2023 and 2024, in order to strengthen the link between the university and the society. Throughout the years in question, the League was present in collective spaces at the University Hospital and in the city of Niterói to speak to the population about the topics, deliver informative materials, and answer questions. The extension actions promoted by LiPe-UFF achieved their purpose of sharing with the public outside the institution part of the knowledge acquired through university teaching and research, thus strengthening the extension role of the Academic Leagues.