Hábitos alimentarios y estado nutricional de niños que asisten a la Unidad Educativa Educa, durante el periodo de octubre a noviembre del año 2025.

Abstract

Ecuadorian schoolchildren face a double burden of malnutrition: obesity, overweight, and stunted growth. The objective of this study was to determine the dietary habits and nutritional status of children attending the Educa School in the Salinas district. The study was observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional, with a sample of 84 children aged 7 to 10 years, 65% male and 35% female. Dietary habits and socioeconomic status were assessed using validated surveys (FFQ, healthy lunchbox survey, socioeconomic status survey), while nutritional status was determined using anthropometric indicators (BMI/age, height/age, weight/age); WHO growth curves were used as a reference. The results showed that 54.8% had an insufficient intake of dairy products; 82.1% had a high sugar intake; and 73.8% had a high intake of processed beverages. Within the school setting, 76.2% of students’ lunchboxes were classified as “unhealthy.” The study found that 50.6% of schoolchildren had a normal nutritional status; 37.3% were overweight, indicating a high prevalence or overnutrition; and 4.8% were at risk as belong to an upper-middle socioeconomic class. It is concluded that dietary habits are related to children’s nutritional status, demonstrating the coexistence of nutritional problems, both from excess and deficiency, which highlights the need to implement nutritional education strategies.