Food and leisure habits among young people of Douro Region (Portugal)

Abstract

This is an descriptive and transversal study whose purpose is to characterize the life style of young people of a sample constituted for high school students (School A) and professional school students (School B), both placed in Douro Region. Some study objectives are: (i) to know the food habits of study sample; (ii) to characterize the leisure activities; (iii) to classify the type of physical exercise practised; (iv) to identify thematics that need to be worked in health education. The data was collected by a questionnaire self-conducted on line, drew to the effect and the anonymity guaranteed. To data treatment we turned to a statistical package (SPSS). They answered to a questionnaire 95 students, 57,9% of school A and 42,1 % of school B. School A: sex - 55,0% feminine and 45,0% masculine; age average – 11,5 ± 1,34 years. School B: sex – 56,4 % feminine and 43,6% masculine; age average – 17,76 ± 1,83 years. In the school A, students make the first meal between 7.15 a.m. and 00.30 p.m., that in large majority is the breakfast (90%). They have breakfast all days (85,0%) and all students have lunch and dinner. The students that live more far from school are whose that have breakfast many times (Kruskal Wallis: p=0,033). However, only, 25,0% and 20,0% ingest, respectively, fruits and vegetables. We classified like thin 40% of the students. Only 5,0% practice physical exercise, 2 days a week. The leisure activity, almost exclusive, is watch TV (90,0%). In the school B, the students have the first meal between 6.30 a.m. and 1.20 p.m., that for 94,5% is the breakfast. Have all days a week breakfast, lunch and dinner, respectively, 67,3%, 83,6% and 80,0% of students and only 21,8% and 10,9% ingest, respectively, fruits and vegetables all days: The boys ingest many times a week vegetables than the girls (Mann Whitney: p=0,019). In sample B, 60,0% practice physical exercise, predominantly (29,1%), 2 days a week. The boys practice many times than the girls (2: p= 0,014). The leisure activities are more diversificated: 81,8% watch TV and 74,5% meet friends. There are 12,7 of students with excess of weight. We conclude about our study subjects that it’s necessary to insist on the importance of have a breakfast and a consumption of fruits and vegetables all days a week and to practice physical exercise with regularity, whose will contribute for a adequate weight and a healthy life.