Análisis comparativo de hábitos alimentarios, composición corporal y condición física, entre estudiantes de bachillerato de una institución educativa urbana y rural

Abstract

In today's educational field, the social, physical and emotional changes of students are constantly evolving, leading to changes in their eating habits, body composition and physical condition. For this reason, during adolescence it is important to detect the levels of these variables in time, in order to know the relationship between them; and based on that, to establish recommendations given by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent future diseases and improve the health of students. The objective of this study is to analyze the eating habits, body composition and physical condition level, among high school students of an urban and rural educational institution of the city of Cuenca in the school period 2023-2024. A total of 146 students with a mean age of 16 ± 1.5 years, belonging to an urban and rural educational institution, selected probabilistically by cluster, participated in the study. In the first instance, a food consumption frequency questionnaire was applied; after that, the high priority Alpha-Fitness battery was carried out to assess the body composition and physical condition of the students. The results obtained show a good physical condition on the part of the men and a regular level in the women; likewise, the BMI and waist circumference reported normal values. However, in terms of dietary habits, most of the participants showed an inadequate consumption of nutrients and ultra-processed foods. Finally, there was an association between BMI and waist circumference and physical condition, while no relationship was found with eating habits.