Relación entre la calidad de la dieta y el nivel de actividad física en adolescentes de 15 a 17 años de edad en la Unidad Educativa Santa Isabel, 2023

Abstract

Adolescence, a stage of physiological changes and adjustments in lifestyle, diet, and physical activity, can determine health throughout life. Objectives: This study focuses on the relationship between the quality of the diet and the level of physical activity in adolescents aged 15 to 17 years from the Santa Isabel Educational Unit, 2023. Methods: The study included 128 students of both genders, aged between 15 and 17 years. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index questionnaire, while physical activity was measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The results were analyzed statistically. Results: The sample consisted of 45.31% female and 54.69% male students. 62.5% had a diet that needed changes, and 37.5% maintained an unhealthy diet. Regarding physical activity, 50.78% carried out moderate activity, 32.03% had high physical activity and 17.19% had low physical activity. However, according to Spearman's rho, no significant relationship was found (p=0.277 > p=0.05) between diet quality and physical activity. Concluding that the quality of the diet and the level of physical activity do not influence one another, interventions should be carried out focused on improving the quality of the diet of adolescents since it is the main problem found.