RELATIONSHIP OF CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE WITH STATE NUTRITION OF ESPOCH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS 2020

Introduction: Adequate and balanced carbohydrate intake is important to maintain a healthy nutritional status. Attention should be paid to the quantity and quality of carbohydrates consumed to avoid health problems and promote a balanced diet. Objectives: to determine the consumption habits of carbohydrates that include bread, rice, potatoes, sugary drinks and sweets in young university students of the ESPOCH, to identify relevant aspects of nutritional status. Methodology: This qualitative cross-sectional descriptive study used direct observation techniques and semi-structured survey to investigate the consumption of cereals, tubers, sugary drinks and sweets in relation to the nutritional status of 485 ESPOCH students in Ecuador. Random sampling was used and responses were analyzed in frequencies, position measures and chi-square tests. Statistical analysis was performed with the Jamovi 2.3 package. Results: 49% were men and 51% women aged between 18 and 29 years. The average weight of men was 66.93 ± 9.67 kg and of women 57.35 ± 8.12 kg, being greater than the appropriate weight for the Ecuadorian population in that age range. The distribution of ages and sizes was normal in both sexes, while weight and BMI were not normal in the group of women, but in the group of men. Normal nutritional diagnosis was the most common in both sexes. Daily bread consumption was higher in women and more than three daily servings was more common in men. No statistically significant relationships were found between rice or potato consumption and sex Conclusions: there is a variability in the consumption of food sources of carbohydrates studied, among university students. It is important to highlight the need to promote a balanced diet and moderate the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods that can have a negative impact on health, especially when consumed in excess or in the form of sugary drinks and sweets with low nutritional value.