[Frequent consumption of industrialized food and its perception among overweight and obese indigenous Mayan adolescents]

Cien Saude Colet. 2020 Nov;25(11):4423-4438. doi: 10.1590/1413-812320202511.35112018. Epub 2019 Apr 17.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

The scope of this paper was to identify what kind and which type of modern industrialized foods that overweight and obese adolescents consume and the perception they have of them. The study was of the qualitative-quantitative, descriptive and interpretative type and was conducted with adolescent students from four high schools in the municipality of Abalá, Yucatán, Mexico. It consisted of three stages, the first of which involved recording anthropometric measurements of 292 high school students to obtain their Body Mass Index. In the second stage, 58 students who were overweight and obese were randomly selected and a food consumption frequency questionnaire was applied. In the third stage, four focus groups were held to ascertain the perception with respect to food consumption. A high intake of modern industrialized foods was observed at breakfast, school break and dinner, though traditional dishes are still consumed at mealtimes. The conclusion drawn is that there is a transculturation of food among adolescents.

Se planteó como objetivo identificar cuáles y de qué tipo son los alimentos industrializados modernos que los adolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad consumen y la percepción que tienen de ellos. El estudio fue de tipo cuali-cuantitativo, descriptivo e interpretativo; se llevó a cabo con estudiantes adolescentes de cuatro secundarias del municipio de Abalá, Yucatán, México. Constó de tres etapas, en la primera se realizaron mediciones antropométricas a 292 estudiantes de las secundarias para obtener el Índice de Masa Corporal, en la segunda se seleccionaron al azar 58 estudiantes que presentaron sobrepeso y obesidad; a los cuales se les aplicó un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. En la tercera etapa se realizaron cuatro grupos focales para conocer la percepción respecto al consumo de alimentos. Se observó una ingesta alta de alimentos industrializados modernos en el desayuno, receso escolar y cena; en el tiempo de la comida aún se consumen preparaciones tradicionales. Existe una transculturación de la alimentación en los adolescentes.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Body Mass Index
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Humans
  • Mexico
  • Obesity* / epidemiology
  • Overweight* / epidemiology
  • Perception
  • Schools