[Eating habits and the frequency of food consumption in 8th-grade schoolchildren from a Basic Health Area of Mataró]

Abstract

Objective: To find the food habits and the qualitative food consumption of 8th-year school students, covered by a Base Health Area in Mataró (Barcelona), as the basis for a programme of health education.

Design: A descriptive study, carried out by means of an open questionnaire on the frequency of food consumption over three consecutive days in a week, on an individual basis, self-filled and of a prospective character.

Setting: The schools within the catchment area of a Base Health Area in Mataró (Barcelona).

Participants: All the 8th-year EGB students of those schools (216).

Measurements and main results: 180 students answered the questionnaire. Four were excluded for not meeting the conditions laid out. There were 81.4% of valid questionnaires. 98.2% did not have a healthy diet. 64% consumed milk products or derivatives once or less per day. 88.6% consumed raw vegetables less than once a day. 86.9% consumed cooked vegetables less than once per day. 40% consumed fresh fruit less than once per day and 55.1% consumed animal proteins less than once per day. 34.6% consumed two or more units per day of cakes or buns and 21.6% consumed three or more units per day of sweets. 31% did not vary their breakfast and 12% took nothing solid for breakfast on at least one of the study's three days. 13.1% did not vary their evening meal and 17% took nothing solid for their evening meal on at least one of the three days.

Conclusions: The results of this study show not very healthy eating habits, with insufficient consumption of milk products, vegetables and fruit and a an insufficient breakfast.