AVALIAÇÃO DO CONHECIMENTO EM ALIMENTAÇÃO E NUTRIÇÃO E A EFICÁCIA DE ATIVIDADES DE EDUCAÇÃO ALIMENTAR E NUTRICIONAL EM ESCOLARES

Abstract

Obesity is growing alarmingly, especially affecting children due to their food patterns, which contribute to the increase in adiposity. Food and Nutritional Education (EAN) is an important strategy to promote healthy eating habits. This study aims to evaluate the nutritional status, the knowledge in nutrition and food consumption before and after interventions of EAN activities in school. Quantitative transversal study developed with 69 pupils of the 4th and 5th grades of a municipal school of Três Pontas- MG. The body mass index curve was used to identify the nutritional status of the school. The questionnaire applied before and after the EAN activities contained issues related to knowledge and food consumption in order to verify these subjects in the school. It was found that more than half of the students were eutrophic (60.9%), 21.7% overweight and 15.9% obese. It was identified that before the EAN activities the consumption of ultra-processed and hypercaloric Foods was excessive and after the EAN it decreased. The consumption of fruit, salads, and vegetables before the EAN was considered inadequate, but after the EAN there was an increase. The knowledge related to nutrition prior to EAN, 62% of the schoolers presented good knowledge, after the EAN 93% of them obtained good knowledge. EAN activities are important since they contributed to the knowledge, influence on the food consumption and formation of healthier eating habits of the students.