Association between diet quality, hygiene behaviors, and nutritional status of children in educational institutions of the native community of Teoría, Junín-Peru, 2023.

Abstract

Introduction: Poor hygiene behaviors and lack of access to potable water increase disease prevalence in rural areas. Diet and hygiene impact children's nutritional status.

Objective: To determine the association between diet quality and hygiene behaviors with the nutritional status of children in the native community of Teoría, Llaylla - Satipo, Junín - Peru, 2023. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study of a census type, which included 120 students from preschool and primary levels. For data collection, a questionnaire was used to assess diet quality and another to evaluate hygiene behaviors, along with anthropometric measurements. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) and inferential statistics (Chi-square, Student's t-test, and Pearson correlation) were employed for the study variables. Results: Out of all the participating students, it is worth noting that in the 3 to 4-year-old group, 61,54% had severe stunting, and in the 12 to 13-year-old group, 25% were overweight. Both in the student and preschool groups, 71,67% required changes in their diet, and 97,5% exhibited negative hygiene behavior. Furthermore, no significant association was found between diet quality, hygiene behaviors, and nutritional status in preschoolers and school-aged children (p>0.05). Conclusions: There is no significant relationship between diet quality and hygiene behaviors with the nutritional status of preschoolers aged 3 to 4 years and school children aged 5 to 13 years.