Estado nutricional y hábitos alimenticios de preescolares y escolares que acuden a la escuela San José Buen Pastor en la ciudad de Guayaquil-Ecuador en el periodo 2019-2020.

Abstract

The malnutrition prevalence since childhood in our country is still a big public health problem. This investigation had as objective to assess the nutritional status of preschool children and school children in Guayaquil by anthropometric measurements and a Food Frequency Questionnaire. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study has made in 97 children between 4 to 13 years of the San José Buen Pastor School whom have taken anthropometric measurements and a dietetic questionnaire. The information was process by SPSS, Who Anthro and Who Anthro Plus. In the nutritional assessment were calculated index (OMS, 2008) like weight/age (84,8%), height/age (88,7%) and BMI/age (87,6%) that showed being within the normal parameter. Dietetic assessment determined that the diary consumption of milk (85,6%), vegetables (82,5%), fruits (85,6%), meats (82,5%) and cereals (92,8%) was adequate, although with a predominance in this last group which contains simple carbohydrates and normally, they are served in excessive portions. However, was observed the weekly consumption of fast food (38,1%) and snacks (39,2%). Therefore, the correlation between nutritional assessment and nutritional habits were not found statistically differences (p>0,05). We need to give a nutritional education to all the ages promoting healthy nutritional habits and a good lifestyle which prevent catastrophic illness.