Effects of an intervention program on eating and physical activity habits of a subsidized private school in Puerto Varas city

Abstract

Objective: Determine the effects of an intervention program in eating habits and physical activity. The program was done in students from Felmer Niklitschek school, in Puerto Varas, in 2018 period. Materials and methods: A measurement of these habits was applied through the INTA survey to a sample of 727 students from 5th to 3rd grade, the intervention consisted of classes lasting 45 minutes, with a total of 5 sessions per week during a period of 5 months, and to generate eating habits, every month meetings were held with families, they addressed topics such as: the acquisition of healthy food at a low price, in addition to the way of cooking food and presenting them. Results: After the intervention, an improvement of 13% in eating habits and 18% in physical activity habits was observed. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that a 5-month intervention with these characteristics positively influences the eating and physical activity habits of the intervened school children, thereby improving their quality of life.