Relación entre la alimentación y el estado depresivo en los estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: To determine the relationship between the diet of the students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the UCSG and the depressive symptomatology. The study refers to a quantitative, non-experimental and cross-sectional approach with a correlational scope. The sample of the study was of 207 students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the UCSG who evaluated the frequency of food consumption in relation to the depressive symptomatology through a questionnaire of frequency of food consumption and the Beck Depression Inventory II. To determine if there is a relationship between the frequency of food consumption in relation to the depressive symptomatology, the Chi square test was used. Results: 57.97% of the population studied reported minimal depression, 18.36% referred to mild depression, 14.49% to moderate depression and 9.18% presented severe depression. 96.62% of the study population consume less than 50% of food adequately. 70% of the population consumes between 47-59% of the food insufficiently. Seventy percent of the population consumes less than 20% of food in excess. Conclusion: According to the Chi-Square statistical test (P value: 0.0492), a relationship was found between adequate food consumption in general and degree of intensity of depressive symptomatology.