[Equity in health according to reports by the Brazilian National Health Conferences since enactment of the 1988 Federal Constitution].

Based on a literature review and taking into account a concept of equity and its application to the field of public health, this article discusses the meaning ascribed to the term "equity" and its variations in the reports by the 9th, 10th, and 11th National Health Conferences in Brazil. Qualitative methods and content analysis were used to evaluate the approach to equity in two products the Conferences intended to formulate: analysis and presentation of the country's health profile and guidelines for public health policies. Little progress in understanding the issue of equity in health was observed; the predominant discourse was vague or excessively broad. The proposals were generic and nonspecific, failing to define the target problems and social groups.