“Aprende a ser saudável com o Joca e a Maria” (Learn how to be healthy with Joca and Maria): the challenge has been set out in the form of a book for children and young people by researchers from CINTESIS – Center for Health technology and Services Research /Health School of Santa Maria (ESSSM), in Porto.
The work, which came up in the framework of the project Por Mais Saúde (For More Health), will be officially launched on March 21 at 4:00 pm, at the Louise Mabille Auditorium of ESSSM.
Goreti Marques (researcher at CINTESIS, assistant professor at ESSSM and specialist nurse in Child Health and Pediatrics), will open the event presenting the project, of which she is the principal investigator. She will be later joined by Ana Rita Pinheiro, Tânia Martins and Sara Pinto in the presentation of the book. There will also be time for the sharing of the experience of using a playful and educational mobile application by a teacher and a fourth year student of the school Externato de Santa Margarida.
“After developing an app for promoting healthy lifestyles for school children and their teachers, we felt we could give even more input to the community in this area. This is a book to read and explore at school and in the family,” explain the authors.
The aim is that Joca and Maria, the main characters of the story, “become a reference in the Portuguese families lifestyles choices” regarding food, exercise and sleep. In this way, we aim to fight obesity, one of the most prevalent pathologies among children and a real public health problem.
With text by Daniela Costa and graphics by Joana Pinheiro, “Learn how to be healthy with Joca and Maria” is a publication of the Edições Afrontamento and the ESSSM.
The project Por Mais Saúde (For More Health) is financed by FEDER/FNR (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-024116) in partnership with CINTESIS.