Promotion of healthy lifestyles in high school students

Although adolescents are considered to be one of the healthiest population groups, it is also identified as vulnerable because they present risky behaviors and inadequate lifestyles that lead to serious repercussions in the future. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on eating habits and healthy lifestyles in first semester students of the Bicentennial High School of the Autonomous University of Querétaro, enrolled in the period 2017-1, aged between 14 and 17 years. Methodology It was a quasi-experimental study of longitudinal descriptive scope. It was based on the methodology for Health Promotion established by PAHO in which various moments are considered: diagnosis, planning, execution, and evaluation. Two groups were formed (intervention and control group). Methodology It was a quasi-experimental study of longitudinal descriptive scope. It was based on the methodology for Health Promotion established by PAHO in which various moments are considered: diagnosis, planning, execution, and evaluation. Two groups were formed (intervention and control group). A pre-test was carried out on both groups, where the BMI was calculated and a battery of instruments was applied to measure Risk Eating and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors. Based on the results obtained, an educational intervention was designed. The program was carried out only for the intervention group. At the end, a post-test was performed where the measurements and the instrument battery were applied again. Unhealthy behaviors decreased significantly in the intervention group in the dimensions of exercise and physical activity (p <0.001), leisure time (p <0.001), diet (p <0.001), interpersonal skills (p = <0.001), coping (p = 0.005) and perceived emotional state (p = 0.003). Regarding the control group, there were significant changes in the means of risky eating behaviors (p <0.001) and in the leisure time dimension (p = <0.001), however, the changes were negative in both cases. When making the comparison between groups, a significant change was obtained in the variables of risky eating behaviors (p = <0.001), exercise and physical activity (p = <0.001), leisure time (p <0.001), diet (p <0.001 ), interpersonal skills (p = <0.001) and coping (p <0.001). It was concluded that educational interventions are an effective tool to achieve a modification of unhealthy habits in adolescents, thereby achieving health promotion, improving their quality of life in the long term.