Modifications in the Eating Habits of Adolescents of Secondary Education as a Result of a Nutritional Intervention

The objective of the study was to demonstrate the efficacy of a nutritional intervention based on the Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoric Model in the favorable modification of eating habits in adolescents of secondary education. The hypothesis was that secondary school adolescents receiving a nutritional intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoric Model presented more favorable modifications in their eating habits than adolescents who only received nutritional information. A community trial was conducted with pilot testing for the validation of the study instruments. Adolescents from the second grade of the afternoon shift of the Jalisco Technical High School Nº46 participated in the 2015-2016 cycle. Self-completed questionnaires evaluated socioeconomic variables, physical activity habits, stage of change (Transtheoric Model), constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory and five eating habits: consumption of fruits and vegetables, natural water, dairy products, sugary drinks and processed foods ; As well as anthropometric variables. The intervention group had twelve workshops on healthy eating habits and two sessions for parents. The control group received three sessions of nutritional information. All variables were measured again at the end of the intervention to evaluate results in the short term and three months later to know results in the medium term.