THE LEISURE IN ACTIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH: EMPHASIS ON ACTIVE LEISURE

Abstract

This work aims to understand how the leisure theme is treated in Brazilian public health policies. We have analyzed the content of documents and other available information on the Health Portal - the official website of the Ministry of Health. Based on the outcomes, it is possible to assert that the concept of "active leisure" is predominant. In the documents analyzed, the proposals on leisure time were mainly related to the incentive to practice physical activities, as a way to combat sedentarism among other strategies of control of chronic non-communicable diseases. This conception of leisure seems to contradictory in comparison to the National Health Promotion Policy and the Primary Care Policy. These both documents highlight the expanded notion of health promotion, in which leisure is conceived as a social right to be guaranteed by the State. Futhermore, these policies afirm the integrality of the human condition, which presents other fundamental demands for the production of health that extrapolate the accomplishment of bodily practices/physical activities and that can also be developed in the leisure time.