Physical activity and nutritional education as determinants of the nutritional status of school adolescents in Puno, Peru 2024

Flores Ccosi R.C.; Llanos Condori V.; Carcausto Carpio J.L.; Alejo Visa S.E.; Medina Pineda M.Z.; Rivera Valdivia K.C.; Yana Choque D.S.; Mantilla Cruz P.K. · Nutricion Clinica y Dietetica Hospitalaria (2025) · DOI: 10.12873/452flores

Resumen

Introduction: Overweight and obesity in adolescents represent a health problem related to chronic noncommunicable diseases. Physical activity and nutrition education are key strategies for reducing overweight and obesity. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a physical activity and food and nutrition education program on the nutritional status of adolescents aged 14 to 17 years in Puno, Peru. Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a control group, non-randomized, and pre- and post-intervention measurements. The population consisted of 185 adolescents, divided into an intervention group (137) and a control group (48). The following matching criteria were taken into account for group assignment: (1) Both educational centers operate in the same city, which implies similar socioeconomic conditions and similar eating habits and customs; (2) The study population consisted of students at the same level of schooling (4th and 5th grade) and of similar age (14 to 17 years old), which guarantees similarity in biological characteristics with respect to nutritional status. The intervention group participated in a physical activity program (five times per week) and food and nutrition education sessions (every two weeks) for 12 weeks. Weight, height, body mass index, and subscapular and triceps skinfold thickness were measured before and after the intervention. The Mann-Whitney U statistical test was used to compare the intervention group with the control group at baseline and at the final evaluation. The Z-score of the body mass index was also compared between baseline and final evaluation of the intervention group using the Wilcoxon test. Results: The overall nutritional status was distributed as follows: 0.5% thin, 74.1% normal, 24.3% overweight, and 1.1% obese at baseline, and 0.5% thin, 72.4% normal, 27.0% overweight, and 0.0% obese at the final evaluation. The Z-score of the body mass index was similar between the intervention group and the control group at baseline (P=0.071) and showed significant differences at the final evaluation (p=0.034); this shows the effect of the program developed. The Wilcoxon test determined that the difference in the Z-score of the body mass index between the baseline and the final evaluation of the intervention group was significant (P=0.002). In overweight adolescents, a decrease in the BMI Z-score was observed (-0.14 in the control group and -0.15 in the intervention group), as well as in obese adolescents (-0.28 in the intervention group). This difference was significant (p=0.00). No significant differences were found in body fat percentage (p=0.177) as the factors that directly affect this indicator were not monitored. Conclusions: The physical activity and food and nutrition education program had a significant effect on the decrease in BMI Z-score in overweight and obese adolescents. There were no changes in normal nutritional status. It is recommended that similar programs be implemented as a strategy to improve nutritional health in adolescents.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano