Feeding behaviour: Nutritional educational intervention in adolescents from Huichapan, Hidalgo

Abstract

Adolescence is the phase of life from ages 12 to 18 years. According to the ENSANUT 2020, the feeding behaviour in this age group include a high consumption of sugar - sweetened beverages, desserts and processed food compared to the consumption of dairy products, vegetables, eggs and water. Nowadays the base of traditional food culture has lost and been modified by incorrect eating behaviours. The objective of the intervention was to promote healthy eating habits in adolescents from Huichapan, Hidalgo through a 5 session’s nutritional educational intervention. The intervention lasted 1 month, in which weight, height and eating habits were evaluated by the "Self-completed questionnaire of feeding behaviour on adolescents". At the beginning, the feeding behaviour, physical condition and the nutritional status of the adolescents that were evaluated were deficient, however after the intervention, the parameters indicated a 7.14 pp. decrease in bad feeding behaviour and in the obesity prevalence in the evaluated population. The developed intervention showed positive results, such as improved feeding behaviour in the adolescents evaluated, therefore, it is considered that a timely diagnosis and intervention in this age group is essential, furthermore a long-term intervention is needed to evaluate the real potential of nutritional education and the influence that this may have in reducing the prevalence of diseases in the future.