Public teaching in Nutrition and its relevance in the interior of Amazonas, Brazil: reflections based on the profile of graduates

Abstract Objective To describe the profile of graduates of the Undergraduate Program in Nutrition at the Federal University of Amazonas, who graduated between 2010 and 2020. Methods This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach and convenience sampling. Data were collected through an electronic questionnaire disseminated through social media in 2022. Results There was an adherence of 35.8% of the graduates to the research. The data collected indicate that most of them are Amazonians (97.0%) and were born in municipalities in the hinterland of the state (83.4%), consider themselves brown (89.4%) and came to graduation from public education (95.5%). Regarding the graduate program, it was observed that the specialization was carried out by most of the graduates, mainly in the areas of Clinical Nutrition (27.4%) and Collective Health (15.4%). Clinical Nutrition was also the most prevalent area, followed by Collective Feeding and Collective Health. Of those who worked professionally, 12.1% of the graduates had never practiced the profession. Regarding job satisfaction, 74.2% considered themselves satisfied at some level. Conclusion The process of establishment of higher education hubs in smaller cities in Amazonas has obtained satisfactory results, considering that the graduates of the Undergraduate Program in Nutrition, almost in their entirety, are born in the hinterland of the state and come from the public school system prior to graduation. The nutritionists continued to work as professionals in the hinterland, a scenario that highlights the role of the university in a remote access region, such as the one where this study was conducted.