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Nutritional condition and eating habits in university students from Manabí, Ecuador

Abstract:

Background: Human nutrition is a multifactorial phenomenon reflected in the nutritional condition and influenced by eating habits and lifestyle that in university students are not always healthy. The objective was to assess the nutritional condition and eating habits of university students from ULEAM, Ecuador. Methods: Weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were taken from 1038 students. Eating habits and diet quality were determined using the Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Results: Weight and height are greater in men with significant intersex differences; the BMI in general condition of normal weight male 24,65±3,72 kg/m2 and female 23,28±4,77 kg/m2. Double burden of individual and population malnutrition is evident. Three meals predominate (70.06%). The quality of the diet according to HEI indicates that 48.07% of the population classifies as healthy and the rest are in the categories of needs changes and unhealthy. Conclusions: Eating habits need changes and although their nutritional condition is acceptable, malnutrition and overweight states associated with them coexist.