DIETARY PRACTICES AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF A GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS FROM AN ANDEAN ZONE OF ECUADOR

Introduction. Food is a fundamental aspect of human health and well-being, especially during adolescence, a stage of rapid growth and physical and mental development, the feeding practices of adolescents directly influence their nutritional status and the health and well-being of this population group. Objective: to explore the feeding practices of a group of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years, from Tisaleo canton, Ambato canton. Methods: descriptive descriptive qualitative cross-sectional study, through a self-administered online survey, using different platforms and social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, with closed multiple-choice questions , with a Non-probability convenience sampling of the type of uncontrolled instrument distribution, applied to 60 adolescent volunteers who agreed to participate and answer the survey Results: 66.66% are women while 33.33% men, women have lower values of weight, height and BMI than men, 63.33% of adolescents have a normal nutritional status, 23.33% underweight and 13.33% malnutrition due to excess (10% overweight and 3.33% obesity). Therewas a statistically significant relationship between physical activity and nutritional status of young people, with a p-value of 0.02981 in the χ² test. Hay a significant correlation between the consumption of breakfast, lunch and snack with the nutritional status of the adolescents investigated Conclusions: this study offers a valuable insight into feeding practices and their influence on the nutritional status of adolescents in an Andean area of Ecuador. The results obtained highlight the need to address this problem in a comprehensive manner, involving the community, the health sector and other relevant actors in the promotion of a healthy and balanced diet for adolescents.