Knowledge of healthy eating among higher education students in programs related to physical activity and sports in Chile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v69.114459Keywords:
Knowledge, Higher Education, Eating Habits, obesity, healthy eatingAbstract
Introduction: The university stage can contribute to establishing habits and behaviors that promote health, which may have medium and long term impacts.
Objective: The objective of this study is to compare knowledge about healthy eating among higher education students in various cities across Chile.
Methodology: This research employs a quantitative approach with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling method was utilized, involving 124 higher education students. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were conducted. For comparisons between higher education institutions, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed.
Results: Significant differences in knowledge about healthy eating were found between students of the Physical Education Teaching program at a university in Ñuble and students of the Physical Trainer program in the Ñuble region and the Sports Technician program in the Los Lagos region (F= 4.26; p= 0.003, η2p= 0.13). Additionally, when comparing university programs (Physical Education Teaching) with technical training programs (Physical Trainer and Sports Technician), it was observed that students in the Physical Education Teaching program possess greater knowledge about healthy eating compared to students in technical training programs (p= 0.007; Cohen's d= 0.20; TE= small).
Conclusion: Students enrolled in physical activity-related programs exhibit low to moderate levels of knowledge regarding healthy eating. University students slightly outperform technical students. Factors such as curriculum, gender, and socioeconomic level have an influence, highlighting the need to strengthen nutritional content, particularly in technical education.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Iván Molina-Márquez, Juan Pablo Molina-Elizalde, Felipe Retamal, Sarai Sepúlveda, Carlos Gutiérrez-Sanhueza, Victoria Hormazábal-Recabal, Kevin Campos-Campos
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