Eating habits, physical activity and nutritional status of adolescents of the MARIANO Suárez Veintimilla Educational Unit, Ibarra 2023

Abstract

The nutritional status of adolescents is influenced by their eating habits and physical activity, which is why it may be interesting to investigate the association between these variables. This study determined the eating habits, physical activity, and nutritional status of adolescents at the Mariano Suárez Veintimilla Educational Unit in the city of Ibarra. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted on 74 adolescents. Eating habits were assessed using a validated survey, and physical activity and nutritional status were analyzed using the height/age and BMI/age indicators, with the respective cut-off points. In addition, sociodemographic data were collected from the study group. In adolescents, the main results indicate that there are partially inadequate eating habits (85%); inadequate physical activity habits (59%); average weight (54.78 ± 11.259 kg), average height (1.5824 ± 0.08085 m); height/age indicator (-0.8673 ± 0.90781); BMI/age indicator had a mean of 0.4526 ± 1.15431. In addition, there was height-for-age delay (41.9%); overweight and obesity (29.7%); and underweight (6.8%). It was concluded that no statistically significant association was found between eating habits and physical activity and the nutritional status of adolescents (p>0.05). Regardless of normal nutritional status, most adolescents had inadequate (72.7%) and partially inadequate (61.9%) eating habits. Similarly, it was demonstrated with physical activity, the highest percentage of adolescents with inadequate or partially inadequate physical activity also had a normal nutritional status (p=0.364).