Abstract

VELANDIA CASTRO, Nelcy Yolanda; CARDENAS CARDENAS, Luz Mery  and  AGUDELO CELY, Nancy Aurora. WHAT DO SNACK BARS IN SCHOOLS OFFER AND WHAT DO STUDENTS EAT DURING RECESS TIME IN THE SCHOOLS? STUDY IN THE CITY OF TUNJA, 2009. Hacia promoc. Salud [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.1, pp.99-109. ISSN 0121-7577.

Objective: to characterize the availability of products in the school snack bars and students' food consumption during recess in Public Elementary Schools in the city of Tunja, in order to generate recommendations to promote healthy food among the school population. Materials and methods: descriptive cross-cutting study carried out in 12 snack bars with 137 public elementary school students from Tunja selected through a random stratified sampling and who complied with the inclusion criteria. The information was collected through a checking form and a consumed food during recess report format which were designed considering the common criteria found in similar investigations. The results were analyzed in a mono and multi varied manner. Results: 100% of school snack bars offered packed food products, candies, cookies and soft drinks; 91.6% offered processed fruit juice, 58.3% offered popsicles and pasties and 50% of the snack bars offered sodas. Fruits or vegetables were not offered in any of the snack bars studied. 81% of school students consumed food during recess. The food that the students bought more frequently in the school snack bars were: candies (42.2%), packed products, popsicles/ice cream in a proportion of 24.63% for each product. Conclusions: the school snack bars offered food catalogued by the authors as energetically dense with low nutritional value. Students consume this type of food during the school recess. This situation requires health promotion strategies focused on the inclusion of fruits and vegetables in the school environment and the encouragement for students to consume such products.

Keywords : Availability; consumption; environment; food habits; food.

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