Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Nutrition and Physical Activity in Children of Primary Schools in Chiapas, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, Mexico

Objective To identify the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nutrition and physical activity in children of primary schools in Chiapas, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, Mexico. Method, Participants & Intervention The diagnosis was conducted in October 2015 in 36 primary schools (19 in Chiapas, 4 in Quintana Roo and 13 in Yucatan). A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey (KAP) was applied to a statically significant randomized sample of 1292 students from grades 4 th through 6 th . The data analysis was descriptive Results 49% of the respondents were boys and 51% girls. The analysis shows, 69% of the children reported plain water consumption at school the day before the survey, and that 15% had drank three or more sugar‐sweetened beverages; 70% had consumed vegetables and 66% had consumed at least one fruit. However, 43% consumed fried foods and 51% sweets or pastries, the day prior to the evaluation. Concerning the practice of physical activity (PA), 97% of respondents considered it as favorable to keeping a healthy weight and 95% said that being overweight affects health; however, only 28% performed at least 30 minutes of PA three times a week. Conclusions It is necessary to make greater efforts to promote the practice of PA in school. Educational strategies focused on the modification of eating habits and PA for health, should build on knowledge and attitudes prevalent in the school population, in order to ensure the success of educational interventions. Support or Funding Information FEMSA Foundation & Save The Children