Método Clínico Piagetiano como ferramenta para investigar noções sobre alimentação saudável.

The purpose of this paper is to present the possibility of employing Piaget's Clinical Method to investigate comprehension of healthy eating by verifying whether the notions presented by individuals are close to the concept advocated in Brazilian official documents. The proposed instrument consists of a clinical interview with material support being the structure of a supermarket and a semi-structured script with situations and questions to be made to the interviewee. To aid analysis of the data collected during the interview, the characteristics of the different levels related to the healthy eating concept were structured. The levels are elaborated by considering the thought structure individuals made use of at the time of answering the questions by the interviewer. At the first level, the individuals make use of a single variable involved in the healthy eating concept for their explanations or do they rely on one aspect in one instance and, within a new situation, another aspect. At the second level, they go on to make use of different variables, referencing different aspects related to healthy eating that are isolated, are not related among themselves, seeming to be independent in the individuals' interpretation. At the third level, individuals understand the existing relation between healthy eating variables, being applied in different situations and contexts. It is pointed out that taking into consideration that individuals present different levels of comprehension in relation to the healthy eating concept may significantly contribute towards the planning of food and nutrition education future actions, both for individuals and for collectivities. It is believed that the instrument that has been constructed may become one more tool emplyed in nutritional diagnostic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]