FROM INFORMATION TO SOCIAL PARTICIPATION: THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND ITS THEORETICAL MODELS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SUS (BRAZILIAN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM)

Abstract

Health education is a historical practice in the field of public health, taking on different meanings according to the social, political, and institutional contexts in which it develops. In Brazil, its trajectory is directly linked to the construction process of the Unified Health System (SUS) and the transformations of the care model, moving from an informative and normative approach to more dialogical and participatory perspectives. Considering the coexistence of different theoretical models and the centrality of social participation in public health policies, this study aims to analyze the evolution of the concept of health education and its main theoretical models in the context of the SUS. This is a narrative literature review, of a qualitative nature and theoretical-conceptual approach, carried out from searches in national and international scientific databases, in addition to the analysis of normative documents and public policies of the Ministry of Health. The results show that, over time, health education has incorporated critical frameworks, recognizing the social determinants of health, popular knowledge, and territory as central elements of the educational process. Popular health education, continuing health education, and popular health surveillance stand out as approaches that strengthen dialogue, autonomy, and social participation. It is concluded that health education, by articulating information, dialogue, and collective action, assumes a strategic role in consolidating the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), contributing to more comprehensive and democratic care practices aligned with the promotion of citizenship and the right to health.