Stage of change in eating behaviors in the population of the Healthy Campus, Central American University of Nicaragua

Abstract

The Central American University has implemented the "Healthy Campus" program since 2012, incorporating the concept of health promotion and a healthy lifestyle to facilitate human development and improve the living conditions of the university population. This research analyzed the impact of this program on the adoption of healthy eating behaviors and the stage of change in diet according to the transtheoretical model, in order to contribute to the improvement of the program. The study is descriptive and cross-sectional and 119 people participated: 60 students and 59 workers. The data were analyzed in the SPSS 20 program using frequency, percentages, chi square tests and Student's t test. Five stages of diet change were classified: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. An electronic survey investigated the adoption of eating behaviors such as: increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables, decrease in fats and sugars, making breakfast and use of portion sizes. From the results, it is highlighted that the increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables was adopted by 91 people grouped in the pre-contemplation stages 12, preparation 48, maintenance 12 and 19 in the other stages. In the reduction of fats and foods rich in sugar, 98 people are located, in the action stages 47, maintenance 43, six in preparation and none in contemplation. The portion size calculation was assumed by 56 people located 29 in action and 27 in maintenance. The realization of the breakfast was adopted by 98 people located in two stages, the majority in maintenance 76 and action 22. A significant difference was found between students and workers in the realization of breakfast (p<0.05), regarding sex, the increase of fruits and vegetables did not show significant difference (p>0.05).