Adolescence and Nursing, Together for the Promotion of Healthy Nutritional Habits

Abstract

Unhealthy eating habits during adolescence increase the risk of developing chronic diseases in the future. The lack of knowledge about nutrition among adolescents is a problem that must be urgently addressed. In the Tulcán canton, the existence of nutritional diseases among adolescents from different areas has been confirmed. The objective of this research is to propose nursing strategies to reduce nutritional complications in adolescents from the Tulcán canton. A diagnosis was made regarding adolescents' knowledge of nutritional complications in the canton. A mixed methodology was used in the research, which was non-experimental with a cross-sectional design, action-oriented, descriptive, bibliographic, field-based, and applied. The theoretical methods employed were inductive-deductive, analytical-synthetic, and historical-logical. The empirical method used was scientific observation. The study population consisted of 75 adolescents attending the Tulcán Sur Health Center. A survey was used to obtain information. Among the results, it stands out that more than 45% had no knowledge of nutritional diseases; 53% practiced inadequate eating habits, at inappropriate times, without engaging in physical activity. Strategies related to Education, Promotion, Prevention, and Evaluation were taken into account. Addressing these challenges from a comprehensive perspective, promoting policies and programs that foster the availability, accessibility, and affordability of healthy foods, as well as nutritional education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles from adolescence, benefits the well-being of the Ecuadorian population.
Keywords: Adolescence, nutrition, healthy habits